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Cell Oct 2022Neuroepithelial crosstalk is critical for gut physiology. However, the mechanisms by which sensory neurons communicate with epithelial cells to mediate gut barrier...
Neuroepithelial crosstalk is critical for gut physiology. However, the mechanisms by which sensory neurons communicate with epithelial cells to mediate gut barrier protection at homeostasis and during inflammation are not well understood. Here, we find that Nav1.8CGRP nociceptor neurons are juxtaposed with and signal to intestinal goblet cells to drive mucus secretion and gut protection. Nociceptor ablation led to decreased mucus thickness and dysbiosis, while chemogenetic nociceptor activation or capsaicin treatment induced mucus growth. Mouse and human goblet cells expressed Ramp1, receptor for the neuropeptide CGRP. Nociceptors signal via the CGRP-Ramp1 pathway to induce rapid goblet cell emptying and mucus secretion. Notably, commensal microbes activated nociceptors to control homeostatic CGRP release. In the absence of nociceptors or epithelial Ramp1, mice showed increased epithelial stress and susceptibility to colitis. Conversely, CGRP administration protected nociceptor-ablated mice against colitis. Our findings demonstrate a neuron-goblet cell axis that orchestrates gut mucosal barrier protection.
Topics: Mice; Humans; Animals; Goblet Cells; Nociceptors; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Colitis; Mucus; Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1
PubMed: 36243004
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.024 -
Mucosal Immunology Jul 2015Goblet cells and their main secretory product, mucus, have long been poorly appreciated; however, recent discoveries have changed this and placed these cells at the... (Review)
Review
Goblet cells and their main secretory product, mucus, have long been poorly appreciated; however, recent discoveries have changed this and placed these cells at the center stage of our understanding of mucosal biology and the immunology of the intestinal tract. The mucus system differs substantially between the small and large intestine, although it is built around MUC2 mucin polymers in both cases. Furthermore, that goblet cells and the regulation of their secretion also differ between these two parts of the intestine is of fundamental importance for a better understanding of mucosal immunology. There are several types of goblet cell that can be delineated based on their location and function. The surface colonic goblet cells secrete continuously to maintain the inner mucus layer, whereas goblet cells of the colonic and small intestinal crypts secrete upon stimulation, for example, after endocytosis or in response to acetyl choline. However, despite much progress in recent years, our understanding of goblet cell function and regulation is still in its infancy.
Topics: Animals; Antigens; Biological Transport; Cytokines; Endocytosis; Exocytosis; Goblet Cells; Humans; Immunomodulation; Intestinal Mucosa; Mucins; Mucus
PubMed: 25872481
DOI: 10.1038/mi.2015.32 -
Cell Host & Microbe Mar 2023Colonic goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells that secrete mucus to physically separate the host and its microbiota, thus preventing bacterial invasion and...
Colonic goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells that secrete mucus to physically separate the host and its microbiota, thus preventing bacterial invasion and inflammation. How goblet cells control the amount of mucus they secrete is unclear. We found that constitutive activation of autophagy in mice via Beclin 1 enables the production of a thicker and less penetrable mucus layer by reducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Accordingly, genetically inhibiting Beclin 1-induced autophagy impairs mucus secretion, while pharmacologically alleviating ER stress results in excessive mucus production. This ER-stress-mediated regulation of mucus secretion is microbiota dependent and requires the Crohn's-disease-risk gene Nod2. Overproduction of mucus alters the gut microbiome, specifically expanding mucus-utilizing bacteria, such as Akkermansia muciniphila, and protects against chemical and microbial-driven intestinal inflammation. Thus, ER stress is a cell-intrinsic switch that limits mucus secretion, whereas autophagy maintains intestinal homeostasis by relieving ER stress.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Goblet Cells; Beclin-1; Inflammation; Mucus; Autophagy; Intestinal Mucosa
PubMed: 36738733
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.01.006 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Apr 2021The intestinal mucus layer, an important element of epithelial protection, is produced by goblet cells. Intestinal goblet cells are assumed to be a homogeneous cell...
The intestinal mucus layer, an important element of epithelial protection, is produced by goblet cells. Intestinal goblet cells are assumed to be a homogeneous cell type. In this study, however, we delineated their specific gene and protein expression profiles and identified several distinct goblet cell populations that form two differentiation trajectories. One distinct subtype, the intercrypt goblet cells (icGCs), located at the colonic luminal surface, produced mucus with properties that differed from the mucus secreted by crypt-residing goblet cells. Mice with defective icGCs had increased sensitivity to chemically induced colitis and manifested spontaneous colitis with age. Furthermore, alterations in mucus and reduced numbers of icGCs were observed in patients with both active and remissive ulcerative colitis, which highlights the importance of icGCs in maintaining functional protection of the epithelium.
Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Colitis; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Goblet Cells; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestine, Small; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Mucus; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; Transcriptome
PubMed: 33859001
DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1590 -
JCI Insight Mar 2021IL-13-induced goblet cell metaplasia contributes to airway remodeling and pathological mucus hypersecretion in asthma. miRNAs are potent modulators of cellular...
IL-13-induced goblet cell metaplasia contributes to airway remodeling and pathological mucus hypersecretion in asthma. miRNAs are potent modulators of cellular responses, but their role in mucus regulation is largely unexplored. We hypothesized that airway epithelial miRNAs play roles in IL-13-induced mucus regulation. miR-141 is highly expressed in human and mouse airway epithelium, is altered in bronchial brushings from asthmatic subjects at baseline, and is induced shortly after airway allergen exposure. We established a CRISPR/Cas9-based protocol to target miR-141 in primary human bronchial epithelial cells that were differentiated at air-liquid-interface, and goblet cell hyperplasia was induced by IL-13 stimulation. miR-141 disruption resulted in decreased goblet cell frequency, intracellular MUC5AC, and total secreted mucus. These effects correlated with a reduction in a goblet cell gene expression signature and enrichment of a basal cell gene expression signature defined by single cell RNA sequencing. Furthermore, intranasal administration of a sequence-specific mmu-miR-141-3p inhibitor in mice decreased Aspergillus-induced secreted mucus and mucus-producing cells in the lung and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness without affecting cellular inflammation. In conclusion, we have identified a miRNA that regulates pathological airway mucus production and is amenable to therapeutic manipulation through an inhaled route.
Topics: Airway Remodeling; Animals; Aspergillus; Asthma; CRISPR-Associated Protein 9; Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; Epithelial Cells; Female; Goblet Cells; Humans; Interleukin-13; Lung; Male; Metaplasia; Mice, Inbred C57BL; MicroRNAs; Mucin 5AC; Mucus; Mice
PubMed: 33682796
DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.139019 -
Current Gastroenterology Reports Oct 2010The mucus layer coating the gastrointestinal tract is the front line of innate host defense, largely because of the secretory products of intestinal goblet cells. Goblet... (Review)
Review
The mucus layer coating the gastrointestinal tract is the front line of innate host defense, largely because of the secretory products of intestinal goblet cells. Goblet cells synthesize secretory mucin glycoproteins (MUC2) and bioactive molecules such as epithelial membrane-bound mucins (MUC1, MUC3, MUC17), trefoil factor peptides (TFF), resistin-like molecule beta (RELMbeta), and Fc-gamma binding protein (Fcgbp). The MUC2 mucin protein forms trimers by disulfide bonding in cysteine-rich amino terminal von Willebrand factor (vWF) domains, coupled with crosslinking provided by TFF and Fcgbp proteins with MUC2 vWF domains, resulting in a highly viscous extracellular layer. Colonization by commensal intestinal microbiota is limited to an outer "loose" mucus layer, and interacts with the diverse oligosaccharides of mucin glycoproteins, whereas an "inner" adherent mucus layer is largely devoid of bacteria. Defective mucus layers resulting from lack of MUC2 mucin, mutated Muc2 mucin vWF domains, or from deletion of core mucin glycosyltransferase enzymes in mice result in increased bacterial adhesion to the surface epithelium, increased intestinal permeability, and enhanced susceptibility to colitis caused by dextran sodium sulfate. Changes in mucin gene expression and mucin glycan structures occur in cancers of the intestine, contributing to diverse biologic properties involved in the development and progression of cancer. Further research is needed on identification and functional significance of various components of mucus layers and the complex interactions among mucus layers, microbiota, epithelial cells, and the underlying innate and adaptive immunity. Further elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms involved in mucin changes in cancer and inflammation may lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Animals; Cell Communication; Cystic Fibrosis; Goblet Cells; Humans; Infections; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestinal Neoplasms; Intestines; Mice; Mucins; Peptides; Trefoil Factor-2
PubMed: 20703838
DOI: 10.1007/s11894-010-0131-2 -
Cell Host & Microbe Dec 2018Symbionts play an indispensable role in gut homeostasis, but underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To clarify the role of lactic-acid-producing bacteria (LAB) on...
Symbionts play an indispensable role in gut homeostasis, but underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To clarify the role of lactic-acid-producing bacteria (LAB) on intestinal stem-cell (ISC)-mediated epithelial development, we fed mice with LAB-type symbionts such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus spp. Here we show that administration of LAB-type symbionts significantly increased expansion of ISCs, Paneth cells, and goblet cells. Lactate stimulated ISC proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signals of Paneth cells and intestinal stromal cells. Moreover, Lactobacillus plantarum strains lacking lactate dehydrogenase activity, which are deficient in lactate production, elicited less ISC proliferation. Pre-treatment with LAB-type symbionts or lactate protected mice in response to gut injury provoked by combined treatments with radiation and a chemotherapy drug. Impaired ISC-mediated epithelial development was found in mice deficient of the lactate G-protein-coupled receptor, Gpr81. Our results demonstrate that LAB-type symbiont-derived lactate plays a pivotal role in promoting ISC-mediated epithelial development in a Gpr81-dependent manner.
Topics: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Goblet Cells; HEK293 Cells; Humans; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Lactic Acid; Lactobacillus plantarum; Methotrexate; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred ICR; Paneth Cells; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
PubMed: 30543778
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.11.002 -
Cell Metabolism Nov 2020Differential WNT and Notch signaling regulates differentiation of Lgr5 crypt-based columnar cells (CBCs) into intestinal cell lineages. Recently we showed that...
Differential WNT and Notch signaling regulates differentiation of Lgr5 crypt-based columnar cells (CBCs) into intestinal cell lineages. Recently we showed that mitochondrial activity supports CBCs, while adjacent Paneth cells (PCs) show reduced mitochondrial activity. This implies that CBC differentiation into PCs involves a metabolic transition toward downregulation of mitochondrial dependency. Here we show that Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors and Notch signaling interact in determining CBC fate. In agreement with the organoid data, Foxo1/3/4 deletion in mouse intestine induces secretory cell differentiation. Importantly, we show that FOXO and Notch signaling converge on regulation of mitochondrial fission, which in turn provokes stem cell differentiation into goblet cells and PCs. Finally, scRNA-seq-based reconstruction of CBC differentiation trajectories supports the role of FOXO, Notch, and mitochondria in secretory differentiation. Together, this points at a new signaling-metabolic axis in CBC differentiation and highlights the importance of mitochondria in determining stem cell fate.
Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Goblet Cells; Intestines; Mice; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Paneth Cells; Receptors, Notch; Stem Cells
PubMed: 33147486
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.10.005 -
Development (Cambridge, England) Oct 2019The upper airway epithelium, which is mainly composed of multiciliated, goblet, club and basal cells, ensures proper mucociliary function and can regenerate in response...
The upper airway epithelium, which is mainly composed of multiciliated, goblet, club and basal cells, ensures proper mucociliary function and can regenerate in response to assaults. In chronic airway diseases, defective repair leads to tissue remodeling. Delineating key drivers of differentiation dynamics can help understand how normal or pathological regeneration occurs. Using single-cell transcriptomics and lineage inference, we have unraveled trajectories from basal to luminal cells, providing novel markers for specific populations. We report that: (1) a precursor subgroup of multiciliated cells, which we have entitled deuterosomal cells, is defined by specific markers, such as DEUP1, FOXN4, YPEL1, HES6 and CDC20B; (2) goblet cells can be precursors of multiciliated cells, thus explaining the presence of hybrid cells that co-express markers of goblet and multiciliated cells; and (3) a repertoire of molecules involved in the regeneration process, such as keratins or components of the Notch, Wnt or BMP/TGFβ pathways, can be identified. Confirmation of our results on fresh human and pig airway samples, and on mouse tracheal cells, extend and confirm our conclusions regarding the molecular and cellular choreography at work during mucociliary epithelial differentiation.
Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Epithelial Cells; Goblet Cells; Humans; Mice; RNA-Seq; Respiratory Mucosa; Swine; Trachea
PubMed: 31558434
DOI: 10.1242/dev.177428 -
ELife Oct 2021Intestinal goblet cells maintain the protective epithelial barrier through mucus secretion and yet sample lumenal substances for immune processing through formation of...
Intestinal goblet cells maintain the protective epithelial barrier through mucus secretion and yet sample lumenal substances for immune processing through formation of goblet cell associated antigen passages (GAPs). The cellular biology of GAPs and how these divergent processes are balanced and regulated by goblet cells remains unknown. Using high-resolution light and electron microscopy, we found that in mice, GAPs were formed by an acetylcholine (ACh)-dependent endocytic event remarkable for delivery of fluid-phase cargo retrograde into the trans-golgi network and across the cell by transcytosis - in addition to the expected transport of fluid-phase cargo by endosomes to multi-vesicular bodies and lysosomes. While ACh also induced goblet cells to secrete mucins, ACh-induced GAP formation and mucin secretion were functionally independent and mediated by different receptors and signaling pathways, enabling goblet cells to differentially regulate these processes to accommodate the dynamically changing demands of the mucosal environment for barrier maintenance and sampling of lumenal substances.
Topics: Animals; Antigens; Goblet Cells; Mice; Transcytosis; Transport Vesicles
PubMed: 34677124
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.67292