Kimura Shunsuke
Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Anat Sci Int. 2018 Jan;93(1):23-34. doi: 10.1007/s12565-017-0418-6. Epub 2017 Nov 2.
Microfold cells (M cells), which are located in the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) covering mucosal lymphoid follicles, are specialized epithelial cells that initiate mucosal immune responses. These cells take luminal antigens and transport them via transcytosis across the FAE to the antigen-presenting cells underneath. Several intestinal pathogens exploit M cells as their portal for entry to invade the host and cause disease conditions. Recent studies have revealed that the uptake of antigens by M cells is essential for efficient antigen-specific IgA production and that this process likely maintains the homeostasis of mucosal tissues. The present article reviews recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of M-cell differentiation and describes the molecules expressed by M cells that are associated with antigen uptake and/or the transcytosis process. Current efforts to augment M-cell-mediated uptake for use in the development of effective mucosal vaccines are also discussed.
微褶细胞（M细胞）位于覆盖黏膜淋巴滤泡的滤泡相关上皮（FAE）中，是启动黏膜免疫反应的特殊上皮细胞。这些细胞摄取管腔内的抗原，并通过转胞吞作用将其穿过FAE转运至下方的抗原呈递细胞。几种肠道病原体利用M细胞作为进入宿主的门户来侵入并引发疾病。最近的研究表明，M细胞摄取抗原对于高效产生抗原特异性IgA至关重要，并且这一过程可能维持黏膜组织的稳态。本文综述了在理解M细胞分化分子机制方面的最新进展，并描述了M细胞表达的与抗原摄取和/或转胞吞过程相关的分子。还讨论了目前为增强M细胞介导的摄取以用于开发有效的黏膜疫苗所做的努力。
