| First Author | Salzman NH | Year | 2010 |
| Journal | Nat Immunol | Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 76-83 |
| PubMed ID | 19855381 | Mgi Jnum | J:157881 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4437196 | Doi | 10.1038/ni.1825 |
| Citation | Salzman NH, et al. (2010) Enteric defensins are essential regulators of intestinal microbial ecology. Nat Immunol 11(1):76-83 |
| abstractText | Antimicrobial peptides are important effectors of innate immunity throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. In the mammalian small intestine, Paneth cell alpha-defensins are antimicrobial peptides that contribute to host defense against enteric pathogens. To determine if alpha-defensins also govern intestinal microbial ecology, we analyzed the intestinal microbiota of mice expressing a human alpha-defensin gene (DEFA5) and in mice lacking an enzyme required for the processing of mouse alpha-defensins. In these complementary models, we detected significant alpha-defensin-dependent changes in microbiota composition, but not in total bacterial numbers. Furthermore, DEFA5-expressing mice had striking losses of segmented filamentous bacteria and fewer interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing lamina propria T cells. Our data ascribe a new homeostatic role to alpha-defensins in regulating the makeup of the commensal microbiota. |
