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Wilmore, Joel
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Summer 2024
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2024-08-22
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Abstract
Evolution of the mammalian gut is intimately linked with the microbes that inhabit this space. Immunological development of gastrointestinal and systemic tissues is fundamentally dependent on stimulation by symbiotic microorganisms. In some cases, the same species that are critical for host immunity display pathogenic qualities when homeostasis is disrupted. Bacteroides fragilis is one such species with numerous symbiotic and pathogenic characteristics. This thesis explores the generation of B. fragilis-specific systemic IgA and the role of this response in protecting the host from B. fragilis pathogenicity. Induction of systemic IgA specific to B. fragilis requires exposure of this bacterium to small intestinal Peyer's patches and results in migration of newly generated IgA plasma cells to systemic tissues. Colonization dynamics of B. fragilis in mouse models with endogenous gut microbiota revealed that the magnitude of systemic IgA responses occurs in a dose-dependent fashion. Finally, a framework for establishing B. fragilis colonization and subsequent immune modulation within a highly diverse intestinal ecosystem was developed.