Tuft cells, taste-chemosensory cells, orchestrate parasite type 2 immunity in the gut.

Science
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

The intestinal epithelium forms an essential barrier between a host and its microbiota. Protozoa and helminths are members of the gut microbiota of mammals, including humans, yet the many ways that gut epithelial cells orchestrate responses to these eukaryotes remain unclear. Here we show that tuft cells, which are taste-chemosensory epithelial cells, accumulate during parasite colonization and infection. Disruption of chemosensory signaling through the loss of TRMP5 abrogates the expansion of tuft cells, goblet cells, eosinophils, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells during parasite colonization. Tuft cells are the primary source of the parasite-induced cytokine interleukin-25, which indirectly induces tuft cell expansion by promoting interleukin-13 production by innate lymphoid cells. Our results identify intestinal tuft cells as critical sentinels in the gut epithelium that promote type 2 immunity in response to intestinal parasites.

Year of Publication
2016
Journal
Science
Volume
351
Issue
6279
Pages
1329-33
Date Published
2016 Mar 18
ISSN
1095-9203
URL
DOI
10.1126/science.aaf1648
PubMed ID
26847546
Links
Grant list
R01 GM099531 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 DC003055 / DC / NIDCD NIH HHS / United States
R01 CA154426 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
F32DK098826 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
F31DK105653 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States