Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. STKE, 16 March 2004
Vol. 2004, Issue 224, p. tw100
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2242004TW100]

EDITORS' CHOICE

IMMUNOLOGY Keeping Friends at Bay

The commensal bacteria of the intestine share some molecular signatures with pathogenic bacteria but do not normally stimulate intestinal inflammation. Macpherson and Uhr (see the Perspective by Kraehenbuhl and Corbett) show that commensal strains of bacteria selectively stimulate intestinal B cells to produce immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. Commensal bacteria invade and survive within dendritic cells, which travel to inductive sites of the mucosal lymphoid system. This IgA-mediated inhibition of mucosal penetration by commensal bacteria may help the intestine avoid unwanted inflammatory responses.

A. J. Macpherson, T. Uhr, Induction of protective IgA by intestinal dendritic cells carrying commensal bacteria. Science 303, 1662-1665 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]

J.-P. Kraehenbuhl, M. Corbett, Keeping the gut microflora at bay. Science 303, 1624-1625 (2004). [Summary] [Full Text]

Citation: Keeping Friends at Bay. Sci. STKE 2004, tw100 (2004).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882