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Updated: May 11, 2026

Isolating Lymphocytes from the Mouse Small Intestinal Immune System
Published on: February 28, 2018
Antigen presentation by small intestinal epithelial cells uniquely enhances IFN-γ secretion from CD4+ intestinal
Ryo Hatano1, Kiyoshi Yamada, Taku Iwamoto
1Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Small intestinal epithelial cells (sIECs) express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules even in a normal condition, and are known to function as antigen presenting cells (APCs) at least in vitro. These findings raised the possibility that sIECs play an important role in inducing immune responses against luminal antigens, especially those of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs). We herein showed that antigenic stimulation with sIECs induced markedly greater secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) by CD4(+) IELs, but not interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and IL-17 although the proliferative response was prominently lower than that with T cell-depleted splenic APCs. In contrast, no enhanced IFN-γ secretion by CD4(+) LPLs and primed splenic CD4(+) T cells was observed when stimulated with sIECs. Taken together, these results suggest that sIECs uniquely activate CD4(+) IELs and induce remarkable IFN-γ secretion upon antigenic stimulation in vivo.
Small intestinal epithelial cells (sIECs) express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules even in a normal condition, and are known to function as antigen presenting cells (APCs) at least in vitro. These findings raised the possibility that sIECs play an important role in inducing immune responses against luminal antigens, especially those of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs). We herein showed that antigenic stimulation with sIECs induced markedly greater secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) by CD4(+) IELs, but not interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and IL-17 although the proliferative response was prominently lower than that with T cell-depleted splenic APCs. In contrast, no enhanced IFN-γ secretion by CD4(+) LPLs and primed splenic CD4(+) T cells was observed when stimulated with sIECs. Taken together, these results suggest that sIECs uniquely activate CD4(+) IELs and induce remarkable IFN-γ secretion upon antigenic stimulation in vivo.
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