Journal Article

Innate and Adaptive Immunity Cooperate Flexibly to Maintain Host-Microbiota Mutualism

Tedder, Thomas F, Stecher, Bärbel, Beutler, Bruce, Velykoredko, Yuliya, Geuking, Markus B, Lawson, Melissa A.E, Macpherson, Andrew J, Verdu, Elena F, Hapfelmeier, Siegfried, Slack, Emma, Bercik, Premysl, McCoy, Kathy D, Hardt, Wolf-Dietrich, Stoel, Maaike

2009

Overview

Commensal bacteria in the lower intestine of mammals are 10 times as numerous as the body's cells. We investigated the relative importance of different immune mechanisms in limiting the spread of the intestinal microbiota. Here, we reveal a flexible continuum between innate and adaptive immune function in containing commensal microbes. Mice deficient in critical innate immune functions such as Toll-like receptor signaling or oxidative burst production spontaneously produce high-titer serum antibodies against their commensal microbiota. These antibody responses are functionally essential to maintain host-commensal mutualism in vivo in the face of innate immune deficiency. Spontaneous hyper-activation of adaptive immunity against the intestinal microbiota, secondary to innate immune deficiency, may clarify the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory diseases where immune dysfunction is implicated.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Adaptive immunity / Animals / Antibodies / Antibodies, Bacterial - biosynthesis / Antibodies, Bacterial - blood / Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology / Bacteremia - immunology / Bacteremia - microbiology / Bacteria / Bacteria - growth & development / Bacteria - immunology / Bacteria - isolation & purification / Bacterial Infections - immunology / Bacterial Infections - microbiology / Biological and medical sciences / blood serum / CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology / Colon / Colony Count, Microbial / Commensals / Enterococcus faecalis - growth & development / Enterococcus faecalis - immunology / Enterococcus faecalis - isolation & purification / Escherichia coli K12 - growth & development / Escherichia coli K12 - immunology / Escherichia coli K12 - isolation & purification / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Fundamental immunology / Germ free state / Germ-Free Life / Immune response / Immune system / Immunity / Immunity, Innate / Immunobiology / immunosuppression / intestinal microorganisms / Intestinal Mucosa - immunology / Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology / intestines / Intestines - immunology / Intestines - microbiology / Lymph nodes / Lymphoid Tissue - microbiology / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Microbiota / Mutualism / Pathogens / Permeability / Respiratory Burst / Rodents / Signal Transduction / Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms / Spleen / Spleen - microbiology / Toll-like receptors / Toll-Like Receptors - genetics / Toll-Like Receptors - metabolism