Cited by 165T-cell and B-cell ImmunologyGastrointestinal motility and disordersIL-33, ST2, and ILC Pathways

Interleukin-6 produced by enteric neurons regulates the number and phenotype of microbe-responsive regulatory T cells in the gut

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Yan, Yiqing, Ramanan, Deepshika, Rozenberg, Milena, McGovern, Kelly, Rastelli, Daniella, Vijaykumar, Brinda, Yaghi, Omar, Voisin, Tiphaine +6 more·2021·Immunity

Abstract

The immune and enteric nervous (ENS) systems monitor the frontier with commensal and pathogenic microbes in the colon. We investigated whether FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells functionally interact with the ENS. Indeed, microbe-responsive RORγ+ and Helios+ subsets localized in close apposition to nitrergic and peptidergic nerve fibers in the colon lamina propria (LP). Enteric neurons inhibited in vitro Treg (iTreg) differentiation in a cell-contact-independent manner. A screen of neuron-secreted factors revealed a role for interleukin-6 (IL-6) in modulating iTreg formation and their RORγ+ proportion. Colonization of germfree mice with commensals, especially RORγ+ Treg inducers, broadly diminished colon neuronal density. Closing the triangle, conditional ablation of IL-6 in neurons increased total Treg cells but decreased the RORγ+ subset, as did depletion of two ENS neurotransmitters. Our findings suggest a regulatory circuit wherein microbial signals condition neuronal density and activation, thus tuning Treg cell generation and immunological tolerance in the gut.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.02.002

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  • Immune dysregulation constitutes a shared etiological mechanism in both neuropsychiatric and digestive pathologies.

    “This supports the hypothesis [39] that immune dysregulation constitutes a shared etiological mechanism in both neuropsychiatric and digestive pathologies.”

    From The hidden genetic and microbial networks connecting neuropsychiatric and digestive disorders (2025) · cites this paper as [39]

    The Discussion links enteric-neuron regulation of gut immune responses to the possible course of inflammatory bowel diseases. It does not address neuropsychiatric pathologies or propose immune dysregulation as a shared cause of both kinds of disease. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Prior studies implicate T-cell activity and immune signaling in individual conditions, and accumulating evidence suggests their functional interplay with gut-innervating neurons in regulating immune tolerance and microbial homeostasis.

    “While prior studies implicate T-cell activity and immune signaling in individual conditions, accumulating evidence suggests their functional interplay with gut-innervating neurons in regulating immune tolerance and microbial homeostasis [39], reinforcing their integrative role as elucidated in this study.”

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Authors
Yan, Y., Ramanan, D., Rozenberg, M., McGovern, K., Rastelli, D., Vijaykumar, B., Yaghi, O., Voisin, T., Mosaheb, M., Chiu, I., Itzkovitz, S., Rao, M., Mathis, D., & Benoist, C.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
  • Boston Children's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Benoist, Christophe
Venue
Immunity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-03
Volume
54
Issue
3
Pages
499-513.e5
ISSN
1074-7613 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3135830535
Cited by
165
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 15
FWCI
8.38
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • NIAID
  • NIDDK
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › IL-33, ST2, and ILC Pathways
Keywords
interleukin-6, enteric nervous system, regulatory T cells, Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, gut microbiota, nitrergic neurons, peptidergic neurons, germ-free mice, immune tolerance
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cells, Cultured, Intestines, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neurons, Phenotype, Interleukin-6, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, Enteric Nervous System, Mice, Knockout, Neurotransmitter Agents, Coculture Techniques, Cell Proliferation, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory, Mice, Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3

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