title: "For whom the bell tolls!" -- innate defense mechanisms and survival strategies of the intestinal epithelium against lumenal pathogens.
abstract: The intestinal epithelium serves as an essential defensive barrier of the mucosal immune system that forms a bipolar interface between the diverse populations of microbes of the lumen and subjacent immune cells present in the lamina propria. Intestinal epithelial cells express various pattern recognition receptors -- poised to recognize microbial "pathogen-associated molecular patterns" as "non-self" and to rapidly initiate innate immune responses of survival and active defense strategies against lumenal pathogens. Current understanding of the variety of innate immune features present in intestinal epithelium to maintain homeostasis is summarized and the mechanisms through which dysregulation may play a central role in initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory bowel disease are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany. elke.cario@uni-essen.de
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cario
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerken
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Podolsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000276:immunology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051198:Toll-Like Receptor 5; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051198:Toll-Like Receptor 5; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; C495341:tehao protein, Drosophila