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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Isolating Lymphocytes from the Mouse Small Intestinal Immune System
Published on: February 28, 2018
Migration of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes into a polarized epithelial monolayer
S K Shaw1, A Hermanowski-Vosatka, T Shibahara
1Division of Gastrointestinal Pathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Insights
Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) migrate into and out of epithelial cells, a process potentially mediated by chemokine receptors. This study models IEL homing to the epithelium.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Gastrointestinal Science
Background:
- Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) reside in mucosal epithelia.
- IEL migration into the epithelium is not well understood.
- Previous studies focused on IEL adhesion, not migration dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro migration of human IEL into polarized epithelial cells.
- To characterize the migratory behavior and positioning of IEL within epithelial monolayers.
- To explore potential mechanisms regulating IEL epithelial homing.
Main Methods:
- Culture of human IEL and polarized epithelial cells in vitro.
- Assessment of IEL migration directionality and efficiency.
- Inhibition studies using pertussis toxin.
- Comparison of IEL migration with neutrophil migration.
Main Results:
- Cultured human IEL migrated efficiently into polarized epithelial cells, adopting a subjunctional position.
- IEL migration was directionally polarized, occurring from the basolateral aspect.
- A significant portion of IEL exited the epithelial monolayer after 4 hours.
- Pertussis toxin partially inhibited IEL migration, suggesting chemokine receptor involvement.
Conclusions:
- A novel in vitro model for studying IEL epithelial homing was established.
- IEL migration into epithelia involves specific directional cues and potentially chemokine signaling.
- The migratory behavior of IEL differs from that of neutrophils.
- This model provides insights into the dynamic interactions between IEL and the epithelial barrier.
Abstract:
Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are a phenotypically distinct population of lymphocytes that reside in mucosal epithelia, below the intercellular tight junctions. Although adhesive functions of this population have been previously studied, relatively little is known about IEL migration from the microvasculature into the epithelium. We demonstrated that cultured human IEL were capable of migration into polarized epithelial cells in vitro, where they assumed a subjunctional position, identical to that observed in vivo. The migration was rapid and efficient and was directionally polarized, such that IEL migrated into epithelial monolayers from the basolateral, but not the apical, aspect. After a 4-h period of residence, up to one-half of the IEL then exited the monolayer basolaterally. Migration was partially inhibited by pertussis toxin, suggesting a potential mechanism for IEL migration by chemokine receptor-mediated signaling. The conditions and ligand pairs used in IEL migration were different from those for neutrophils, another cell type known to migrate through epithelia. This system may serve as a model for microenvironmental homing of IEL into the epithelium.
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