Microbial antigen encounter during a preweaning interval is critical for tolerance to gut bacteria.

ABSTRACT: We have a mutually beneficial relationship with the trillions of microorganisms inhabiting our gastrointestinal tract. However, maintaining this relationship requires recognizing these organisms as affable and restraining inflammatory responses to these organisms when encountered in hostile settings. How and when the immune system develops tolerance to our gut microbial members is not well understood. We identify a specific preweaning interval in which gut microbial antigens are encountered by the immune system to induce antigen-specific tolerance to gut bacteria. For some bacterial taxa, physiologic encounters with the immune system are restricted to this interval, despite abundance of these taxa in the gut lumen at later times outside this interval. Antigen-specific tolerance to gut bact

SUBMITTER: Knoop KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5759965 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature