Endoscopic photoconversion reveals unexpectedly broad leukocyte trafficking to and from the gut.

ABSTRACT: Given mounting evidence of the importance of gut-microbiota/immune-cell interactions in immune homeostasis and responsiveness, surprisingly little is known about leukocyte movements to, and especially from, the gut. We address this topic in a minimally perturbant manner using Kaede transgenic mice, which universally express a photoconvertible fluorescent reporter. Transcutaneous exposure of the cervical lymph nodes to violet light permitted punctual tagging of immune cells specifically therein, and subsequent monitoring of their immigration to the intestine; endoscopic flashing of the descending colon allowed specific labeling of intestinal leukocytes and tracking of their emigration. Our data reveal an unexpectedly broad movement of leukocyte subsets to and from the gut at steady state, e

SUBMITTER: Morton AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4020091 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature