| First Author | Shalapour S | Year | 2010 |
| Journal | Eur J Immunol | Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 9 | Pages | 2391-400 |
| PubMed ID | 20690180 | Mgi Jnum | J:257407 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6120853 | Doi | 10.1002/eji.201040441 |
| Citation | Shalapour S, et al. (2010) Commensal microflora and interferon-gamma promote steady-state interleukin-7 production in vivo. Eur J Immunol 40(9):2391-400 |
| abstractText | IL-7 is a major regulator of lymphocyte homeostasis; however, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate IL-7 production. To study Il7 gene regulation in vivo, we generated a novel IL-7-reporter mouse, which allows the non-invasive quantification of Il7 gene activity in live mice and, additionally, the simultaneous activation/inactivation of target genes in IL-7-producing cells. With these IL-7-reporter mice, we identify thymus, skin and intestine as major sources of IL-7 in vivo. Importantly, we show that IFN-gamma and the commensal microflora promote steady-state IL-7 production in the intestine. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the blockade of IFN-gamma signaling in intestinal epithelial cells strongly reduces their IFN-gamma-driven IL-7 production. In summary, our data suggest a feedback loop in which commensal bacteria drive IFN-gamma production by lymphocytes, which in turn promotes epithelial cell IL-7 production and the survival of IL-7-dependent lymphocytes. |
