Interactions between the intestinal microbiota and innate lymphoid cells

Abstract

The mammalian intestine must manage to contain 100 trillion intestinal bacteria without inducing inappropriate immune responses to these microorganisms. The effects of the immune system on intestinal microorganisms are numerous and well-characterized, and recent research has determined that the microbiota influences the intestinal immune system as well. In this review, we first discuss the intestinal immune system and its role in containing and maintaining tolerance to commensal organisms. We next introduce a category of immune cells, the innate lymphoid cells, and describe their classification and function in intestinal immunology. Finally, we discuss the effects of the intestinal microbiota on innate lymphoid cells.

Keywords: :

• microbiota
• intestinal immunity
• Bacteroides fragilis
• polysaccharide A
• innate lymphoid cell
• lymphoid tissue inducer cell

10.4161/gmic.27289

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflict of interest was disclosed.

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Suryasarathi Dasgupta and Dr Neeraj K Surana for critical discussion of this manuscript and Julie B McCoy for her excellent editorial work.