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Unusual suspects: dancing with stromal cells

Nature Immunology volume 18, pages 601–602 (2017)Cite this article

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M cells sample gut lumenal antigens and microbes to induce gut immune responses. A novel population of stromal cell—the M cell inducers—are essential for sustaining M cell differentiation and bacteria-specific production of immunoglobulin A to maintain the gut–immune system symbiosis.

The body's mucosal surfaces, such as the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, provide an expansive surface area for the entry of various pathogens, together with environmental and food antigens, and thus they must be well protected. The Peyer's patches are highly organized gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) and are the main site for the induction of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Low levels of SIgA are associated with enhanced susceptibility to food allergies and potential gut damage. The preservation of SIgA is therefore essential for the protection of mucosal surfaces. SIgA has also been linked to profound effects on the establishment and maintenance of beneficial microbiota. In this issue of Nature Immunology, Nagashima et al. identify a specialized subset of mesenchymal cells that express the cytokine RANKL that is present in the subepithelial dome of the Peyer's patch and are essential for sustaining the differentiation of microfold (M) cells and the production of IgA through signaling via the cytokine receptor RANK and its ligand RANKL1.

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Figure 1: RANKL-mediated regulation of M cells by MCi cells in GALT.

Katie Vicari/Nature Publishing Group

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. and the Department of Medical Biology, Gabrielle T. Belz and Francisca F. Almeida are in the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,

    Gabrielle T Belz & Francisca F Almeida

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  1. Gabrielle T Belz
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  2. Francisca F Almeida
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Correspondence to Gabrielle T Belz.

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Belz, G., Almeida, F. Unusual suspects: dancing with stromal cells. Nat Immunol 18, 601–602 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.3741

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