The intestinal immune system needs to balance tolerance to commensal bacteria and response to potential pathogens. Now, Chang et al. have reported that the microbial metabolite n-butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, is secreted in large amounts by commensal bacteria and renders intestinal macrophages (the most abundant immune cell in the lamina propria) hyporesponsive by downregulating expression of proinflammatory effectors including IL-6 and IL-12.
References
Chang, P. V. et al. The microbial metabolite butyrate regulates intestinal macrophage function via histone deacetylase inhibition. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 10.1073/pnas.1322269111
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Butyrate might regulate intestinal immune tolerance to commensal microbiota. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 11, 74 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.2
