Nature Communications

Tracheal tuft cells release ATP and link innate to adaptive immunity in pneumonia

N Noran Abdel Wadood M Monika I. Hollenhorst M Mohamed Ibrahem Elhawy N Na Zhao C Clara Englisch S Saskia B. Evers M Mahana Sabachvili S Stephan Maxeiner A Amanda Wyatt C Christian Herr A Ann-Kathrin Burkhart E Elmar Krause D Daniela Yildiz A Anja Beckmann S Soumya Kusumakshi D Dieter Riethmacher M Markus Bischoff S Sandra Iden S Sören L. Becker B Brendan J. Canning V Veit Flockerzi (Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Saarland University) T Thomas Gudermann V Vladimir Chubanov R Robert Bals C Carola Meier U Ulrich Boehm G Gabriela Krasteva-Christ

Abstract

AbstractTracheal tuft cells shape immune responses in the airways. While some of these effects have been attributed to differential release of either acetylcholine, leukotriene C4 and/or interleukin-25 depending on the activating stimuli, tuft cell-dependent mechanisms underlying the recruitment and activation of immune cells are incompletely understood. Here we show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection activates mouse tuft cells, which release ATP via pannexin 1 channels. Taste signaling through the Trpm5 channel is essential for bacterial tuft cell activation and ATP release. We demonstrate that activated tuft cells recruit dendritic cells to the trachea and lung. ATP released by tuft cells initiates dendritic cell activation, phagocytosis and migration. Tuft cell stimulation also involves an adaptive immune response through recruitment of IL-17A secreting T helper cells. Collectively, the results provide a molecular framework defining tuft cell dependent regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses in the airways to combat bacterial infection.

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Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 16, Issue 1
Published January 10, 2025
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio
ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (27)

N

Noran Abdel Wadood

M

Monika I. Hollenhorst

M

Mohamed Ibrahem Elhawy

N

Na Zhao

C

Clara Englisch

S

Saskia B. Evers

M

Mahana Sabachvili

S

Stephan Maxeiner

A

Amanda Wyatt

C

Christian Herr

A

Ann-Kathrin Burkhart

E

Elmar Krause

D

Daniela Yildiz

A

Anja Beckmann

S

Soumya Kusumakshi

D

Dieter Riethmacher

M

Markus Bischoff

S

Sandra Iden

S

Sören L. Becker

B

Brendan J. Canning

V

Veit Flockerzi

Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Saarland University

T

Thomas Gudermann

V

Vladimir Chubanov

R

Robert Bals

C

Carola Meier

U

Ulrich Boehm

G

Gabriela Krasteva-Christ

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