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A gut triumvirate rules homeostasis

Nature Medicine volume 17, pages 1549–1550 (2011)Cite this article

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IgA regulates intestinal homeostasis by maintaining appropriate communities of bacteria within the gut. A new study shows that intestinal bacteria regulate metabolism via IgA (pages 1585–1593).

The gut ecosystem includes complex communities of commensal bacteria that confer many defensive and metabolic capabilities, including the ability to break down indigestible carbohydrates, generate essential vitamins and fill a niche that would otherwise be accessible to pathogens. The intestinal microbiota also educate local immune cells to generate a homeostatic balance characterized by active immune readiness against pathogens and hyporesponsiveness against commensals. This homeostatic balance involves the sensing of bacteria by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)1.

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Figure 1: Intestinal bacteria regulate metabolism and immunity through an IgA-dependent mechanism.

Marina Corral

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alejo Chorny and Andrea Cerutti are at The Immunology Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA and the Institut Municipal d'Investicació Mèdica-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain,

    Alejo Chorny & Andrea Cerutti

  2. Andrea Cerutti is also at the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain.,

    Andrea Cerutti

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  1. Alejo Chorny
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  2. Andrea Cerutti
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Correspondence to Andrea Cerutti.

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Chorny, A., Cerutti, A. A gut triumvirate rules homeostasis. Nat Med 17, 1549–1550 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2592

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