An ocular commensal protects against corneal infection by driving an Interleukin-17 response from mucosal γδ T cells

Anthony J. St. Leger, Jigar V. Desai, Rebecca A. Drummond, Abirami Kugadas, Fatimah Almaghrabi, Phyllis Silver, Kumarkrishna Raychaudhuri, Mihaela Gadjeva, Yoichiro Iwakura, Michail S. Lionakis, Rachel R. Caspi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

107 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mucosal sites such as the intestine, oral cavity, nasopharynx, and vagina all have associated commensal flora. The surface of the eye is also a mucosal site, but proof of a living, resident ocular microbiome remains elusive. Here, we used a mouse model of ocular surface disease to reveal that commensals were present in the ocular mucosa and had functional immunological consequences. We isolated one such candidate commensal, Corynebacterium mastitidis, and showed that this organism elicited a commensal-specific interleukin-17 response from γδ T cells in the ocular mucosa that was central to local immunity. The commensal-specific response drove neutrophil recruitment and the release of antimicrobials into the tears and protected the eye from pathogenic Candida albicans or Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Our findings provide direct evidence that a resident commensal microbiome exists on the ocular surface and identify the cellular mechanisms underlying its effects on ocular immune homeostasis and host defense.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)148-158.e5
Number of pages17
JournalImmunity
Volume47
Issue number1
Early online date11 Jul 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Jul 2017

Keywords

  • host defense
  • IL-17
  • microbiome
  • mucosal immunity
  • ocular commensal bacteria
  • ocular surface disease
  • γδ T cells

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An ocular commensal protects against corneal infection by driving an Interleukin-17 response from mucosal γδ T cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this