Physiological understanding of host-microbial pathogen interactions in the gut

Lee, Sei-Jung; Choi, Sang Ho; Han, Ho Jae

doi:2016.56.2.57

Korean J Vet Res > Volume 56(2); 2016 > Article

Review Article

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 2016;56(2):57-66.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14405/kjvr.2016.56.2.57 Published online July 7, 2016.

Physiological understanding of host-microbial pathogen interactions in the gut

Sei-Jung Lee¹, Sang Ho Choi², Ho Jae Han¹

¹Department of Veterinary Physiology, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Research, College of Veterinary Medicine
²National Research Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Toxicology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Center for Food Safety and Toxicology, Seoul National University

Abstract

The gut epithelial barrier, which is composed of the mucosal layer and the intestinal epithelium, has multiple defense mechanisms and interconnected regulatory mechanisms against enteric microbial pathogens. However, many bacterial pathogens have highly evolved infectious stratagems that manipulate mucin production, epithelial cell-cell junctions, cell death, and cell turnover to promote their replication and pathogenicity in the gut epithelial barrier. In this review, we focus on current knowledge about how bacterial pathogens regulate mucin levels to circumvent the epithelial mucus barrier and target cell-cell junctions to invade deeper tissues and increase their colonization. We also describe how bacterial pathogens manipulate various modes of epithelial cell death to facilitate bacterial dissemination and virulence effects. Finally, we discuss recent investigating how bacterial pathogens regulate epithelial cell turnover and intestinal stem cell populations to modulate intestinal epithelium homeostasis.

Key Words: epithelial cells turnover, intestinal epithelium, intestinal stem cells, mucosal layer, pathogens, tight junction