The intestinal microbiota determines the colitis-inducing potential of T-bet-deficient Th cells in mice

Abstract

Conflicting evidence has been provided as to whether induction of intestinal inflammation by adoptive transfer of naïve T cells into Rag^-/- mice requires expression of the transcription factor T-bet by the T cells. Here, we formally show that the intestinal microbiota composition of the Rag^-/- recipient determines whether or not T-bet-deficient Th cells can induce colitis and we have resolved the differences of the two microbiomes, permissive or non-permissive to T-bet-independent colitis. Our data highlight the dominance of the microbiota over particular T cell differentiation programs in the pathogenesis of chronic intestinal inflammation.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Microbiota; T cell transfer colitis; T helper cells; T-bet.