Interactions between commensal fungi and the C-type lectin receptor Dectin-1 influence colitis.

Abstract

The intestinal microflora, typically equated with bacteria, influences diseases such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we show that the mammalian gut contains a rich fungal community that interacts with the immune system through the innate immune receptor Dectin-1. Mice lacking Dectin-1 exhibited increased susceptibility to chemically induced colitis, which was the result of altered responses to indigenous fungi. In humans, we identified a polymorphism in the gene for Dectin-1 (CLEC7A) that is strongly linked to a severe form of ulcerative colitis. Together, our findings reveal a eukaryotic fungal community in the gut (the "mycobiome") that coexists with bacteria and substantially expands the repertoire of organisms interacting with the intestinal immune system to influence health and disease.

• Authors: Iliyan D Iliev, Vincent A Funari, Kent D Taylor, Quoclinh Nguyen, Christopher N Reyes, Samuel P Strom, Jordan Brown, Courtney A Becker, Phillip R Fleshner, Marla Dubinsky, Jerome I Rotter, Hanlin L Wang, Dermot P B McGovern, Gordon D Brown, David M Underhill
• Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.) (Science) Vol. 336 Issue 6086 Pg. 1314-7 (Jun 08 2012) ISSN: 1095-9203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22674328 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Fungal
• CLEC7A protein, human
• Lectins, C-Type
• dectin 1
• Dextran Sulfate

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Fungal (blood)
• Candida tropicalis (immunology, isolation & purification, pathogenicity, physiology)
• Colitis, Ulcerative (chemically induced, immunology, microbiology)
• Colon (immunology, microbiology)
• Colony Count, Microbial
• Dextran Sulfate
• Disease Susceptibility
• Female
• Fungi (classification, immunology, isolation & purification, physiology)
• Haplotypes
• Humans
• Immunity, Innate
• Immunity, Mucosal
• Intestinal Mucosa (immunology, microbiology)
• Intestines (immunology, microbiology)
• Lectins, C-Type (deficiency, genetics, metabolism)
• Metagenome
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide