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An expanding stage for commensal microbes in host immune regulation

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 14, pages 339–348 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Gastrointestinal commensal microbiota is a concentrated mix of microbial life forms, including bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses. These life forms are targets of host antimicrobial defense in order to establish a homeostatic symbiosis inside the host. However, they are also instrumental in shaping the functions of our immune system via a diverse set of communication mechanisms. In the gut, T helper 17, regulatory T and B cells are continuously tuned by specific microbial strains and metabolic processes. These cells in return help to establish a mutually beneficial exchange with the gut microbial contents. Imbalances in this symbiosis lead to dysregulations in the host’s ability to control infections and the development of autoimmune diseases. In addition, the commensal microbiota has a significant and obligatory role in shaping both gut intrinsic and distal lymphoid organs, casting a large impact on the overall immune landscape in the host. This review discusses the major components of the microbial community in the gut and how its members collectively and individually exert regulatory roles in the host immune system and lymphoid structure development, as well as the functions of several major immune cell types.

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Acknowledgements

YS is supported by the joint Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program (31370878) and by grants from the US NIH (R01AI098995), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-355350/396037) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-119295).

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  1. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Immunology, Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Yan Shi & Libing Mu

  2. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary T2N 4N1, Canada

    Yan Shi

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  1. Yan Shi
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Correspondence to Yan Shi.

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Shi, Y., Mu, L. An expanding stage for commensal microbes in host immune regulation. Cell Mol Immunol 14, 339–348 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2016.64

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