Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63123, USA.
Mucosal Immunol. 2018 Nov;11(6):1551-1557. doi: 10.1038/s41385-018-0039-y. Epub 2018 Jun 4.
Goblet cells (GCs) are specialized epithelial cells that line multiple mucosal surfaces and have a well-appreciated role in barrier maintenance through the secretion of mucus. Moreover, GCs secrete anti-microbial proteins, chemokines, and cytokines demonstrating functions in innate immunity beyond barrier maintenance. Recently it was appreciated that GCs can form goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs) and deliver luminal substances to underlying lamina propria (LP) antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in a manner capable of inducing adaptive immune responses. GCs at other mucosal surfaces share characteristics with the GAP forming intestinal GCs, suggesting that GAP formation may not be restricted to the gut, and that GCs may perform this gatekeeper function at other mucosal surfaces. Here we review observations of how GCs contribute to immunity at mucosal surfaces through barrier maintenance, the delivery of luminal substances to APCs, interactions with APCs, and secretion of factors modulating immune responses.
杯状细胞（GCs）是一种特化的上皮细胞，分布于多个黏膜表面，通过分泌黏液在维持屏障功能方面发挥着重要作用。此外，GCs 还分泌抗菌蛋白、趋化因子和细胞因子，除了维持屏障功能外，还具有先天免疫功能。最近人们认识到，GCs 可以形成杯状细胞相关抗原通道（GAP），并以能够诱导适应性免疫反应的方式将腔内容物递送至下方的固有层（LP）抗原呈递细胞（APC）。其他黏膜表面的 GCs 具有与形成 GAP 的肠道 GCs 相似的特征，这表明 GAP 的形成可能不仅限于肠道，GCs 可能在其他黏膜表面发挥这种守门员功能。本文综述了 GCs 通过维持屏障、将腔内容物递送至 APC、与 APC 相互作用以及分泌调节免疫反应的因子来促进黏膜表面免疫的相关观察结果。
