γδ T cells regulate the intestinal response to nutrient sensing

Abstract

γδ T cells link immunity to nutrition Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are immune cells best known for host barrier defenses in epithelial tissues. Sullivan et al. discovered a previously unrecognized role for γδ T cells in sensing nutrient uptake in the small intestine (see the Perspective by Talbot and Littman). The researchers analyzed mice fed a high-carbohydrate versus a high-protein diet and observed remodeling of the small intestinal epithelium in response to dietary carbohydrates. Nutrient availability triggered an epithelial–immune cell circuit that was required for digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Intestinal γδ T cells regulated the expression of a carbohydrate transcriptional program by limiting interleukin-22 production from type 3 innate lymphoid cells. These findings may also provide insights into how γδ T cells modulate metabolic disease. Science , this issue p. eaba8310 ; see also p. 1202