Regional specialization of macrophages along the gastrointestinal tract

The tissue microenvironment is a major driver in imprinting tissue-specific macrophage functions in various mammalian tissues. As monocytes are recruited into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract at steady state and inflammation, they rapidly adopt a tissue-specific and distinct transcriptome. However, t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in immunology 2021-09, Vol.42 (9), p.795-806
Main Authors: Berthold, Dorothée L., Jones, Kelsey D.J., Udalova, Irina A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens
Colon
Diet
Epigenetics
Gastrointestinal system
Gastrointestinal tract
Gene expression
Immune system
Inflammation
Inflammatory bowel disease
Intestine
Large intestine
Localization
Macrophages
Mammals
Microbiota
Microenvironments
Monocytes
Nutrients
Phenotypes
Recruitment
Tissues
transcriptional changes
Transcriptomes
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Summary:The tissue microenvironment is a major driver in imprinting tissue-specific macrophage functions in various mammalian tissues. As monocytes are recruited into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract at steady state and inflammation, they rapidly adopt a tissue-specific and distinct transcriptome. However, the GI tract varies significantly along its length, yet most studies of intestinal macrophages do not directly compare the phenotype and function of these macrophages in the small and large intestine, thus leading to disparities in data interpretations. This review highlights differences along the GI tract that are likely to influence macrophage function, with a specific focus on diet and microbiota. This analysis may fuel further investigation regarding the interplay between the intestinal immune system and GI tissue microenvironments, ideally providing unique therapeutic targets to modulate specific intestinal macrophage populations and/or functions. The tissue microenvironment is crucial for imprinting mammalian tissue-specific macrophage functions.The tissue microenvironment varies significantly between the small intestine and colon due to changes in nutrient availability, microbial load, oxygen availability, and mucus thickness.Monocytes recruited to the small intestine and colon adopt a tissue-specific and distinct transcriptome.Integration of cues from the immediate environment of tissue-resident macrophages leads to modulation of their functions via gene expression profiles.Dietary metabolites and spatial organization of the microbiome are underappreciated factors contributing to shaping macrophage functions along the gastrointestinal tract.
ISSN:1471-4906
1471-4981
DOI:10.1016/j.it.2021.07.006