Division of Molecular Immunology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom; email:
Annu Rev Immunol. 2014;32:403-32. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-032713-120245.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), for many years almost exclusively studied by the pharmacology/toxicology field for its role in mediating the toxicity of xenobiotics such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), has more recently attracted the attention of immunologists. The evolutionary conservation of this transcription factor and its widespread expression in the immune system point to important physiological functions that are slowly being unraveled. In particular, the emphasis is now shifting from the role of AhR in the xenobiotic pathway toward its mode of action in response to physiological ligands. In this article, we review the current understanding of the molecular interactions and functions of AhR in the immune system in steady state and in the presence of infection and inflammation, with a focus on barrier organs such as the skin, the gut, and the lung.
芳香烃受体（Aryl hydrocarbon receptor，AhR），多年来一直被药理学/毒理学领域所研究，主要因其在介导 2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并对二恶英（2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin，TCDD）等外源化学物质的毒性方面发挥作用。而近年来，免疫学家也开始关注 AhR。这种转录因子在进化上具有保守性，并且在免疫系统中广泛表达，这表明它具有重要的生理功能，而这些功能目前正逐渐被揭示。特别是，人们的关注点正从 AhR 在外源化学物质途径中的作用，逐渐转移到其对生理配体的作用模式。在本文中，我们综述了目前对 AhR 在稳态和感染及炎症条件下的免疫系统中的分子相互作用和功能的理解，重点关注皮肤、肠道和肺部等屏障器官。
