Metabolites from intestinal microbes shape Treg

Abstract

Intestinal bacterial metabolites are an important communication tool between the host immune system and the commensal microbiota to establish mutualism. In a recent paper published in Science, Wendy Garrett and her colleagues report an exciting role of the three most abundant microbial-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid, in colonic regulatory T cell (cTreg) homeostasis.

Figure 1

Bacterial metabolites that reach systemic sites likely modulate adaptive or innate immune cell function at systemic sites. This may eventually rationalize the observed correlation of microbiota composition and susceptibility to systemic immune-mediated disorders such as autoimmune or allergic diseases.