Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
The intestinal mucosa serves both as a conduit for the uptake of food-derived nutrients and microbiome-derived metabolites, and as a barrier that prevents tissue invasion by microorganisms and tempers inflammatory responses to the myriad contents of the lumen. How the intestine coordinates physiological and immune responses to food consumption to optimize nutrient uptake while maintaining barrier functions remains unclear. Here we show in mice how a gut neuronal signal triggered by food intake is integrated with intestinal antimicrobial and metabolic responses that are controlled by type-3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3)(1-3). Food consumption rapidly activates a population of enteric neurons that express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)(4). Projections of VIP-producing neurons (VIPergic neurons) in the lamina propria are in close proximity to clusters of ILC3 that selectively express VIP receptor type 2 (VIPR2
Feeding controls a neuroimmune circuit comprising VIP-producing neurons and type-3 innate lymphoid cells that helps to regulate the efficiency of nutrient uptake and IL-22-mediated immune protection in the intestine.
