C. trachomatis modulates host lipid metabolism through METTL14–m6A–PPARα axis for reproduction

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium with a significant impact on human health. To establish a successful infection, C. trachomatis needs to modulate and exploit host metabolic pathways to acquire essential nutrients such as nucleotides, amino acids and lipids. This study highlights the key mechanisms of lipid scavenging and their critical role in C. trachomatis infection, demonstrating that C. trachomatis induces lipophagy to regulate lipid metabolism and support its intracellular reproduction through METTL14-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification of PPARα mRNA. These findings shed light on the pivotal regulatory function of the METTL14-m 6 A-PPARα axis in the intricate interplay between C. trachomatis infection and lipid metabolism reprogramming.