NAD+ metabolism is a key modulator of bacterial respiratory epithelial infections

Lower respiratory tract infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae ( Spn ) are a leading cause of death globally. Here we investigate the bronchial epithelial cellular response to Spn infection on a transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic level. We found the NAD ⁺ salvage pathway to be dysregulated upon infection in a cell line model, primary human lung tissue and in vivo in rodents, leading to a reduced production of NAD ⁺ . Knockdown of NAD ⁺ salvage enzymes (NAMPT, NMNAT1) increased bacterial replication. NAD ⁺ treatment of Spn inhibited its growth while growth of other respiratory pathogens improved. Boosting NAD ⁺ production increased NAD ⁺ levels in immortalized and primary cells and decreased bacterial replication upon infection. NAD ⁺ treatment of Spn dysregulated the bacterial metabolism and reduced intrabacterial ATP. Enhancing the bacterial ATP metabolism abolished the antibacterial effect of NAD ⁺ . Thus, we identified the NAD ⁺ salvage pathway as an antibacterial pathway in Spn infections, predicting an antibacterial mechanism of NAD ⁺ .