title: Investigation of the role of cholera toxin in assisting the initiation of the antigen-specific Th2 response.
abstract: Skewed Th2 polarization and tissue mastocytosis are the main features of allergy; but how the antigen-specific Th2 polarization initiated remains unclear. The present study shows that cholera toxin (CT) activates mouse bone marrow mast cells (BMMC) to release interleukin (IL)-4. The activation process involved in Toll-like receptor 4, nucleotide oligomerisation domain 1, activate signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), and IL-4. Activated mast cell-derived IL-4 in synergy with co-existing antigen information provided by dendritic cells drives naive CD4+ T cells to differentiate into antigen-specific Th2 cells. The finding demonstrates that concurrent exposure to microbial products, such as CT, and antigen-loaded dendritic cells plays a critical role in the initiation of antigen-specific Th2 response in the body; this notion is supported by the concurrent adoptive transfer with CT-pulsed BMMCs and antigen-loaded BMDCs that induced antigen-specific Th2 response and hypersensitivity reaction in the intestine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhengzhou University School of Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bai-Sui
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Peng-Yuan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ping-Chang
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053474:Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053474:Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D015847:Interleukin-4; D002772:Cholera Toxin