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Intestinal epithelial cells: at the interface of the microbiota and mucosal immunity
Author(s) -
Soderholm Amelia T.,
Pedicord Virginia A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.13117
Subject(s) - immune system , crosstalk , intestinal epithelium , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , mucosal immunology , innate immune system , immunity , homeostasis , barrier function , gut flora , epithelium , function (biology) , acquired immune system , genetics , physics , optics
Summary The intestinal epithelium forms a barrier between the microbiota and the rest of the body. In addition, beyond acting as a physical barrier, the function of intestinal epithelial cells ( IEC s) in sensing and responding to microbial signals is increasingly appreciated and likely has numerous implications for the vast network of immune cells within and below the intestinal epithelium. IEC s also respond to factors produced by immune cells, and these can regulate IEC barrier function, proliferation and differentiation, as well as influence the composition of the microbiota. The mechanisms involved in IEC –microbe–immune interactions, however, are not fully characterized. In this review, we explore the ability of IEC s to direct intestinal homeostasis by orchestrating communication between intestinal microbes and mucosal innate and adaptive immune cells during physiological and inflammatory conditions. We focus primarily on the most recent findings and call attention to the numerous remaining unknowns regarding the complex crosstalk between IEC s, the microbiota and intestinal immune cells.