Visualization of the entire differentiation process of murine M cells: suppression of their maturation in cecal patches.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460261
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Shunsuke 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (40444525)
• Research Collaborator: Mutoh Mami 北海道大学, 大学院歯学研究科・口腔医学専攻, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: パイエル板 / 濾胞上皮

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The microfold (M) cell residing in the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) is a specialized epithelial cell that initiates mucosal immune responses by sampling luminal antigens. The differentiation process of M cells remains unclear due to limitations of analytical methods. Here we found that M cells were classified into two functionally different subtypes based on the expression of Glycoprotein 2 (GP2) by newly developed image cytometric analysis. GP2-high M cells actively took up luminal microbeads whereas GP2-negative or low cells scarcely ingested them, suggesting that GP2-high M cells represent functionally mature M cells. Further, the GP2-high mature M cells were abundant in Peyer’s patch but sparse in the cecal patch: this was most likely due to a decrease in the nuclear translocation of RelB, a downstream transcription factor for the receptor activator of NF-κB signaling.

Free Research Field

組織細胞学