title: Antigen sampling in the fish intestine.
abstract: Antigen uptake in the gastrointestinal tract may induce tolerance, lead to an immune response and also to infection. In mammals, most pathogens gain access to the host though the gastrointestinal tract, and in fish as well, this route seems to be of significant importance. The epithelial surface faces a considerable challenge, functioning both as a barrier towards the external milieu but simultaneously being the site of absorption of nutrients and fluids. The mechanisms allowing antigen uptake over the epithelial barrier play a central role for maintaining the intestinal homeostasis and regulate appropriate immune responses. Such uptake has been widely studied in mammals, but also in fish, a number of experiments have been reported, seeking to reveal cells and mechanisms involved in antigen sampling. In this paper, we review these studies in addition to addressing our current knowledge of the intestinal barrier in fish and its anatomical construction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: guro.lokka@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Guro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Løkka
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: erling.o.koppang@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Erling Olaf
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Koppang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes / Q000276:immunology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007109:Immunity; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*; D008322:Mammals; D057705:Transendothelial and Transepithelial Migration
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens
keywords: Antigen uptake; Epithelial barrier; Intestine; Leukocyte; Teleost