TY - JOUR
T1 - Reversible microbial colonization of germ-free mice reveals the dynamics of IgA immune responses
AU - Hapfelmeier, Siegfried
AU - Lawson, Melissa A E
AU - Slack, Emma
AU - Kirundi, Jorum K.
AU - Stoel, Maaike
AU - Heikenwalder, Mathias
AU - Cahenzli, Julia
AU - Velykoredko, Yuliya
AU - Balmer, Maria L.
AU - Endt, Kathrin
AU - Geuking, Markus B.
AU - Curtiss, Roy
AU - McCoy, Kathy D.
AU - Macpherson, Andrew J.
PY - 2010/6/25
Y1 - 2010/6/25
N2 - The lower intestine of adult mammals is densely colonized with nonpathogenic (commensal) microbes. Gut bacteria induce protective immune responses, which ensure host-microbial mutualism. The continuous presence of commensal intestinal bacteria has made it difficult to study mucosal immune dynamics. Here, we report a reversible germ-free colonization system in mice that is independent of diet or antibiotic manipulation. A slow (more than 14 days) onset of a long-lived (half-life over 16 weeks), highly specific anticommensal immunoglobulin A (IgA) response in germ-free mice was observed. Ongoing commensal exposure in colonized mice rapidly abrogated this response. Sequential doses lacked a classical prime-boost effect seen in systemic vaccination, but specific IgA induction occurred as a stepwise response to current bacterial exposure, such that the antibody repertoire matched the existing commensal content.
AB - The lower intestine of adult mammals is densely colonized with nonpathogenic (commensal) microbes. Gut bacteria induce protective immune responses, which ensure host-microbial mutualism. The continuous presence of commensal intestinal bacteria has made it difficult to study mucosal immune dynamics. Here, we report a reversible germ-free colonization system in mice that is independent of diet or antibiotic manipulation. A slow (more than 14 days) onset of a long-lived (half-life over 16 weeks), highly specific anticommensal immunoglobulin A (IgA) response in germ-free mice was observed. Ongoing commensal exposure in colonized mice rapidly abrogated this response. Sequential doses lacked a classical prime-boost effect seen in systemic vaccination, but specific IgA induction occurred as a stepwise response to current bacterial exposure, such that the antibody repertoire matched the existing commensal content.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1188454
DO - 10.1126/science.1188454
M3 - Article
C2 - 20576892
AN - SCOPUS:77954051526
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 328
SP - 1705
EP - 1709
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 5986
ER -