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AHR signaling in the development and function of intestinal immune cells and beyond

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Abstract

The intestinal immune system is challenged daily with the task of recognizing and eliminating pathogens while simultaneously tolerating dietary and commensal antigens. All components must effectively coordinate to differentiate a continual barrage of environmental cues and mount appropriate responses dependent on the nature of the stimuli encountered. Playing a pivotal role, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a chemical sensor that detects both dietary and microbial cues and is important for development, maintenance, and function of several types of intestinal immune cells, particularly innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and T cells. In this review, we will highlight recent advances in our knowledge of the role of AHR signaling in ILCs, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Marina Cella and Susan Gilfillan for their suggestions.

Funding

This work was supported by the Rainin Foundation, NIH grants U01 AI095542 and DK103039.

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  1. Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Luisa Cervantes-Barragan & Marco Colonna

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  1. Luisa Cervantes-Barragan
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Correspondence to Marco Colonna.

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This article is a contribution to the special issue on Innate Lymphoid Cells in Inflammation and Immunity - Guest Editors: Jan-Eric Turner and Georg Gasteiger

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Cervantes-Barragan, L., Colonna, M. AHR signaling in the development and function of intestinal immune cells and beyond. Semin Immunopathol 40, 371–377 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-018-0694-9

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