Mgl2+ cDC2 triggering of fungal allergic inflammation depends on a spore induced glycolytic shift fuelled by local availability of glucose

Abstract

Fungal spores are a major cause of severe asthmatic disease. However, the precise events that cause individuals to become sensitised to spores are poorly understood. Mgl2+ type 2 conventional dendritic cells (Mgl2+ cDC2s) are critical in coordinating allergic airway inflammation in mice following repeated exposure to inhaled spores. Yet, whether these DCs are directly acquiring spores from the airway, and the downstream mechanism(s) upon fungal uptake causing DCs to trigger allergic inflammation are unknown. Here we find that spores are acquired by lung DCs after inhalation although these events are rare ([~] 0.5% of the cDC2 population). Transcriptomics on isolated spore+ Mgl2+ cDC2s, compared to spore- Mgl2+ cDC2s from the same environment, revealed that a major consequence of fungal uptake was a boost in metabolic activity. Single-cell metabolic profiling revealed this increase in Mgl2+ cDC2 metabolism upon spore acquisition was fuelled by a glycolytic shift. To pinpoint if nutrient availability and acquisition is an important determinant of this response, mass spectrometry-based metabolomics revealed that, during fungal allergic inflammation, the local airway nutrient environment is altered. To ascertain which of these could be fuelling DC responses, we identified which substrates that feed into glycolysis were crucial. Of these, we found that glucose availability acts as a key rheostat in shaping cDC2 responses to spores. These data highlight a crucial role for glycolytic metabolism in driving cDC2 responses to spores, which is governed by glucose availability, defining novel targets for future therapeutic development of fungal allergic inflammation.