Cited by 1,457T-cell and B-cell ImmunologyPsoriasis: Treatment and PathogenesisGut microbiota and health

Bile acid metabolites control TH17 and Treg cell differentiation

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Hang, Saiyu, Paik, Donggi, Yao, Lina, Kim, Eunha, Trinath, Jamma, Lu, Jingping, Ha, Soyoung, Nelson, Brandon N. +10 more·2019·Nature

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Abstract

Bile acids are abundant in the mammalian gut, where they undergo bacteria-mediated transformation to generate a large pool of bioactive molecules. Although bile acids are known to affect host metabolism, cancer progression and innate immunity, it is unknown whether they affect adaptive immune cells such as T helper cells that express IL-17a (T H 17 cells) or regulatory T cells (T reg cells). Here we screen a library of bile acid metabolites and identify two distinct derivatives of lithocholic acid (LCA), 3-oxoLCA and isoalloLCA, as T cell regulators in mice. 3-OxoLCA inhibited the differentiation of T H 17 cells by directly binding to the key transcription factor retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and isoalloLCA increased the differentiation of T reg cells through the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS), which led to increased expression of FOXP3. The isoalloLCA-mediated enhancement of T reg cell differentiation required an intronic Foxp3 enhancer, the conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) 3; this represents a mode of action distinct from that of previously identified metabolites that increase T reg cell differentiation, which require CNS1. The administration of 3-oxoLCA and isoalloLCA to mice reduced T H 17 cell differentiation and increased T reg cell differentiation, respectively, in the intestinal lamina propria. Our data suggest mechanisms through which bile acid metabolites control host immune responses, by directly modulating the balance of T H 17 and T reg cells.

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  • Certain secondary bile acids serve significant biological functions, including regulation of host metabolism, immunity, and resistance against intestinal pathogen expansion.

    “Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that certain secondary BAs serve significant biological functions, including the regulation of host metabolism, immunity, and resistance against intestinal pathogen expansion.21,360–364”
  • Certain secondary bile acids exert anti-inflammatory effects by stimulating Treg cell differentiation and inhibiting TH17 cell differentiation.

    “On the other hand, certain secondary BAs exert anti-inflammatory effects by stimulating Treg cell differentiation and inhibiting TH17 cell differentiation.361,363,364,702,710”
  • In humans, BACH2 might regulate homeostatic Th17 cells and could be exploited to treat autoimmune diseases.

    “Hence, in humans BACH2 might be an important regulator of homeostatic Th17 cells that could be exploited for the treatment of human autoimmune diseases.”

    From TH17 cell heterogeneity and its role in tissue inflammation (2023) · cites this paper as [60]

  • Multiple SNPs in the BACH2 locus are associated with human autoimmune diseases, and a protective MS allele correlates with increased BACH2 expression in CD4+ T cells.

    “multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the BACH2 locus are associated with human autoimmune diseases and a protective allele for MS disease correlates with an increase of BACH2 expression in CD4+ T cells”

    From TH17 cell heterogeneity and its role in tissue inflammation (2023) · cites this paper as [60]

  • Integrating single-cell ATAC-seq and single-cell RNA-seq generated a regulatory network across non-pathogenic Th17, pathogenic Th17, and Th1 cells.

    “by integrating single-cell ATAC-seq and single-cell RNA-seq, we generated a regulatory network across npTh17, pTh17, and Th1 cells”

    From TH17 cell heterogeneity and its role in tissue inflammation (2023) · cites this paper as [60]

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Authors
Hang, S., Paik, D., Yao, L., Kim, E., Trinath, J., Lu, J., Ha, S., Nelson, B. N., Kelly, S. P., Wu, L., Zheng, Y., Longman, R. S., Rastinejad, F., Devlin, A. S., Krout, M. R., Fischbach, M. A., Littman, D. R., & Huh, J. R.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Birla Institute of Technology and Science - Hyderabad Campus (IN)
  • Bucknell University (US)
  • New York University (US)
  • Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
  • Weill Cornell Medicine (US)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Stanford University (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
  • Fischbach, Michael A.
  • Littman, Dan R.
  • Huh, Jun R.
Venue
Nature
Published
2019-11-27
Volume
576
Issue
7785
Pages
143-148
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2990182987
Cited by
1,457
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 274 · 2025: 287 · 2024: 260 · 2023: 207 · 2022: 174 · 2021: 158 · 2020: 94 · 2019: 3
FWCI
43.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Wellcome Trust (210664/Z/18/Z)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI107027, R01AI080885)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK103358, R01DK114252, R01DK110559, P30DK034854)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
bile acid metabolites, lithocholic acid, Th17 cell differentiation, regulatory T cells, RORγt, Foxp3, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, gut microbiota, intestinal lamina propria, IL-17A, T cell regulation
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Differentiation, Lithocholic Acid, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Reactive Oxygen Species, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory, Mice, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Th17 Cells

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