Eiji Umemoto, Naoki Morita, Kiyoshi Takeda (Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University and IFReC) and the research group showed common bacterial metabolites pyruvate and lactate enhance the intestinal immune response and guard against infection by important gut pathogens.

Role of bacterial metabolites lactate and pyruvate in intestinal immune response.
Gut microbiota such as lactobacillus produce lactate and pyruvate. These metabolites stimulate intestinal macrophages through the receptor GPR31, allowing macrophages to protrude trans-epithelial dendrites and take up pathogenic bacteria efficiently in the intestine. Accordingly, lactate and pyruvate cause enhanced immune responses to pathogenic bacteria and increased resistance to the infection.

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Contact:

Kiyoshi Takeda（Mucosal Immunology）

+81-6-6879-3980
ktakedaongene.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University (WPI-IFReC)