Distinct microbial and immune niches of the human colon

Nat Immunol. 2020 Mar;21(3):343-353. doi: 10.1038/s41590-020-0602-z. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal microbiota and immune cells interact closely and display regional specificity; however, little is known about how these communities differ with location. Here, we simultaneously assess microbiota and single immune cells across the healthy, adult human colon, with paired characterization of immune cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes, to delineate colonic immune niches at steady state. We describe distinct helper T cell activation and migration profiles along the colon and characterize the transcriptional adaptation trajectory of regulatory T cells between lymphoid tissue and colon. Finally, we show increasing B cell accumulation, clonal expansion and mutational frequency from the cecum to the sigmoid colon and link this to the increasing number of reactive bacterial species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Colon / cytology
  • Colon / immunology*
  • Colon / microbiology*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / cytology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / immunology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Lymph Nodes / cytology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Organ Specificity
  • RNA-Seq
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • Transcriptome