An Ocular Commensal Protects against Corneal Infection by Driving an Interleukin-17 Response from Mucosal γδ T Cells

TY - JOUR

T1 - An Ocular Commensal Protects against Corneal Infection by Driving an Interleukin-17 Response from Mucosal γδ T Cells

AU - St. Leger, Anthony J.

AU - Desai, Jigar V.

AU - Drummond, Rebecca A.

AU - Kugadas, Abirami

AU - Almaghrabi, Fatimah

AU - Silver, Phyllis

AU - Raychaudhuri, Kumarkrishna

AU - Gadjeva, Mihaela

AU - Iwakura, Yoichiro

AU - Lionakis, Michail S.

AU - Caspi, Rachel R.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017

PY - 2017/7/18

Y1 - 2017/7/18

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - IL-17

KW - host defense

KW - microbiome

KW - mucosal immunity

KW - ocular commensal bacteria

KW - ocular surface disease

KW - γδ T cells

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85021963755

U2 - 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.06.014

DO - 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.06.014

M3 - Article

C2 - 28709803

SN - 1074-7613

VL - 47

SP - 148-158.e5

JO - Immunity

JF - Immunity

IS - 1

ER -