| First Author | Martin PK | Year | 2018 |
| Journal | Nat Microbiol | Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 10 | Pages | 1131-1141 |
| PubMed ID | 30202015 | Mgi Jnum | J:286026 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6392006 | Doi | 10.1038/s41564-018-0229-0 |
| Citation | Martin PK, et al. (2018) Autophagy proteins suppress protective type I interferon signalling in response to the murine gut microbiota. Nat Microbiol 3(10):1131-1141 |
| abstractText | As a conserved pathway that lies at the intersection between host defence and cellular homeostasis, autophagy serves as a rheostat for immune reactions. In particular, autophagy suppresses excess type I interferon (IFN-I) production in response to viral nucleic acids. It is unknown how this function of autophagy relates to the intestinal barrier where host-microbe interactions are pervasive and perpetual. Here, we demonstrate that mice deficient in autophagy proteins are protected from the intestinal bacterial pathogen Citrobacter rodentium in a manner dependent on IFN-I signalling and nucleic acid sensing pathways. Enhanced IFN-stimulated gene expression in intestinal tissue of autophagy-deficient mice in the absence of infection was mediated by the gut microbiota. Additionally, monocytes infiltrating into the autophagy-deficient intestinal microenvironment displayed an enhanced inflammatory profile and were necessary for protection against C. rodentium. Finally, we demonstrate that the microbiota-dependent IFN-I production that occurs in the autophagy-deficient host also protects against chemical injury of the intestine. Thus, autophagy proteins prevent a spontaneous IFN-I response to microbiota that is beneficial in the presence of infectious and non-infectious intestinal hazards. These results identify a role for autophagy proteins in controlling the magnitude of IFN-I signalling at the intestinal barrier. |
