Crosstalk between B lymphocytes, microbiota and the intestinal epithelium governs immunity versus metabolism in the gut.

ABSTRACT: Using a systems biology approach, we discovered and dissected a three-way interaction between the immune system, the intestinal epithelium and the microbiota. We found that, in the absence of B cells, or of IgA, and in the presence of the microbiota, the intestinal epithelium launches its own protective mechanisms, upregulating interferon-inducible immune response pathways and simultaneously repressing Gata4-related metabolic functions. This shift in intestinal function leads to lipid malabsorption and decreased deposition of body fat. Network analysis revealed the presence of two interconnected epithelial-cell gene networks, one governing lipid metabolism and another regulating immunity, that were inversely expressed. Gene expression patterns in gut biopsies from individuals with common v

SUBMITTER: Shulzhenko N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3902046 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature