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Immunology

A bacterial nudge to T-cell function

Nature volume 526, pages 328–330 (2015)Cite this article

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The epithelial cells that line the intestine have been found to sense tight attachment of bacteria, and to respond by producing proteins that shape the effector functions of the immune system's TH17 cells.

Our intestines contain trillions of bacteria that support health by promoting digestion, blocking invading microorganisms and synthesizing certain vitamins. Although the epithelial cells that line the gut separate these bacteria from deeper tissues, resident bacteria influence the development of immune cells that reside beneath the epithelium. This presents a puzzle: how do bacteria that are confined to the gut lumen communicate their presence to these immune cells? Writing in Cell, Atarashi et al.1 and Sano et al.2 show that the gut epithelial lining provides a conduit for this communication by sensing bacterial attachment and producing proteins that guide immune-cell development.

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Figure 1: Bacterial attachment to the intestinal surface shapes TH17-cell function.

Seiko Narushima, Kiminori Toyooka & Kenya Honda

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shai Bel and Lora V. Hooper are in the Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,

    Shai Bel & Lora V. Hooper

  2. L.V.H. is also at the the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.,

    Lora V. Hooper

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  1. Shai Bel
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  2. Lora V. Hooper
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Correspondence to Lora V. Hooper.

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Bel, S., Hooper, L. A bacterial nudge to T-cell function. Nature 526, 328–330 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/526328a

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