E. coli-activated cellular circuit restrains intestinal inflammatory microbiota-specific T cells and protects against colitis.
| Publication Type | Academic Article |
| Authors | Kim D, Chen A, Ng C, Peres-Tintin L, Park S, Acosta M, Callaghan R, Stanford N, Perez-Rosario M, Matthews D, Zegarra-Ruiz D, Diehl G |
| Journal | Cell Rep |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pagination | 116332 |
| Date Published | 09/23/2025 |
| ISSN | 2211-1247 |
| Keywords | Colitis, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Escherichia coli |
| Abstract | Balance between microbiota-specific effector and regulatory T (Treg) cells is required to promote intestinal health and limit disease pathology. The pathways regulating T cell equilibrium during inflammation and the role of individual microbiota members in these outcomes are still being established. Here, we demonstrate that colonization with a single adherent-invasive Escherichia coli strain restrains pathogenic microbiota-directed T helper type 1 (Th1) cells. This results in a higher proportion of colon Treg cells, specifically tolerogenic microbiota-specific RORγt+FoxP3+ Treg cells, during intestinal inflammation. This anti-inflammatory shift limits pathology in mouse colitis models. This process requires interleukin-10 production by colon CX3CR1+ antigen-presenting cells to suppress microbiota-specific Th1 cells. This work suggests a mechanism for local circuits that control intestinal T cells to limit microbiota-directed pathology. |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116332 |
| PubMed ID | 40991928 |