Commensal microflora and interferon-gamma promote steady-state interleukin-7 production in vivo

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Commensal microflora and interferon-gamma promote steady-state interleukin-7 production in vivo
Creators Name:	Shalapour, S., Deiser, K., Sercan, O., Tuckermann, J., Minnich, K., Willimsky, G., Blankenstein, T., Haemmerling, G.J., Arnold, B. and Schueler, T.
Abstract:	IL-7 is a major regulator of lymphocyte homeostasis; however, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate IL-7 production. To study Il7 gene regulation in vivo, we generated a novel IL-7-reporter mouse, which allows the non-invasive quantification of Il7 gene activity in live mice and, additionally, the simultaneous activation/inactivation of target genes in IL-7-producing cells. With these IL-7-reporter mice, we identify thymus, skin and intestine as major sources of IL-7 in vivo. Importantly, we show that IFN-gamma and the commensal microflora promote steady-state IL-7 production in the intestine. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the blockade of IFN-gamma signaling in intestinal epithelial cells strongly reduces their IFN-gamma-driven IL-7 production. In summary, our data suggest a feedback loop in which commensal bacteria drive IFN-gamma production by lymphocytes, which in turn promotes epithelial cell IL-7 production and the survival of IL-7-dependent lymphocytes.
Keywords:	IL-7, IFN-gamma, Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Commensal Microflora, Animals, Mice
Source:	European Journal of Immunology
ISSN:	0014-2980
Publisher:	Wiley
Volume:	40
Number:	9
Page Range:	2391-2400
Date:	September 2010
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.201040441
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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