Adaptation of innate lymphoid cells to a micronutrient deficiency promotes type 2 barrier immunity.

Adaptation of innate lymphoid cells to a micronutrient deficiency promotes type 2 barrier immunity. Science (New York, N.Y.) Spencer, S. P., Wilhelm, C., Yang, Q., Hall, J. A., Bouladoux, N., Boyd, A., Nutman, T. B., Urban, J. F., Wang, J., Ramalingam, T. R., Bhandoola, A., Wynn, T. A., Belkaid, Y. 2014; 343 (6169): 432-7

Abstract

How the immune system adapts to malnutrition to sustain immunity at barrier surfaces, such as the intestine, remains unclear. Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies and is associated with profound defects in adaptive immunity. Here, we found that type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are severely diminished in vitamin A-deficient settings, which results in compromised immunity to acute bacterial infection. However, vitamin A deprivation paradoxically resulted in dramatic expansion of interleukin-13 (IL-13)-producing ILC2s and resistance to nematode infection in mice, which revealed that ILCs are primary sensors of dietary stress. Further, these data indicate that, during malnutrition, a switch to innate type 2 immunity may represent a powerful adaptation of the immune system to promote host survival in the face of ongoing barrier challenges.

View details for DOI 10.1126/science.1247606

View details for PubMedID 24458645

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4313730