| First Author | Shim EJ | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 191 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 2764-2770 |
| PubMed ID | 23918973 | Mgi Jnum | J:205803 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5546470 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.1300908 |
| Citation | Shim EJ, et al. (2013) Activation of p38alpha in T cells regulates the intestinal host defense against attaching and effacing bacterial infections. J Immunol 191(5):2764-70 |
| abstractText | Intestinal infections by attaching and effacing (A/E) bacterial pathogens cause severe colitis and bloody diarrhea. Although p38alpha in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) plays an important role in promoting protection against A/E bacteria by regulating T cell recruitment, its impact on immune responses remains unclear. In this study, we show that activation of p38alpha in T cells is critical for the clearance of the A/E pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. Mice deficient of p38alpha in T cells, but not in macrophages or dendritic cells, were impaired in clearing C. rodentium. Expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma by p38alpha-deficient T cells was reduced, which further reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and antimicrobial peptide by IECs and led to reduced infiltration of T cells into the infected colon. Administration of IFN-gamma activated the mucosal immunity to C. rodentium infection by increasing the expression of inflammation genes and the recruitment of T cells to the site of infection. Thus, p38alpha contributes to host defense against A/E pathogen infection by regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines that activate host defense pathways in IECs. |
