Complement C5a receptor (C5aR) signaling in immune cells has various functions, inducing inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses based on the type of ligand present. The Co1 peptide (SFHQLPARSRPLP) has been reported to activate C5aR signaling in dendritic cells. We investigated the effect of C5aR signaling via the Co1 peptide on macrophages. In peritoneal macrophages, the interaction between C5aR and the Co1 peptide activated the mTOR pathway, resulting in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Considering the close associations of mTOR signaling with IL-6 and TNF-α in macrophage training, our findings indicate that the Co1 peptide amplifies β-glucan-induced trained immunity. Overall, this research highlights a previously underappreciated aspect of C5aR signaling in trained immunity, and posits that the Co1 peptide is a potentially effective immunomodulator for enhancing trained immunity.

The mucosal delivery route is considered ideal for immunization. However, induction of antigen-specific mucosal immunity is difficult due to the tolerogenic environment. Therefore, developing an immunogenic mucosal dendritic cell (DC)-targeting strategy is required. Herein, we investigated the characteristics and immunogenic potential of Peyer’s patch (PP) DCs as an oral vaccination-targeting strategy. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the PP DCs showed that complement C5a receptor- and lysozyme-expressing DCs exhibit increased expression of genes related to chemotaxis. Administration of the Co1 peptide, a C5aR ligand, increased CD8 + T cell infiltration and response to the co-delivered model antigen in mice. Furthermore, in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine model, vaccination with Co1 elicited both systemic and mucosal immunity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that C5aR signaling in mucosal DCs plays a role in regulating adjuvant activity by modulating the tissue microenvironment.

The complement fragment C5a is closely associated with adaptive immune induction in the mucosa. However, the mechanisms that control CD8(+) T cell responses by C5a have not been extensively explored. This study reveals that C5/C5a in the Peyer's patch (PP) subepithelial dome increases upon oral Listeria infection. We hypothesize that C5aRWAZE(+) PP cells play an important role in the induction of antigen-specific T cell immunity. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identify C5aR- and lysozyme-expressing dendritic cells (C5aR(+) LysoDCs) in PP and examine their role in CD8(+) T cell immune induction. Stimulation of C5aR(+) LysoDCs by C5a increases reactive oxygen species levels, leading to efficient antigen cross-presentation, which elicits an antigen-specific CD8(+) T cell response. In C5-deficient mice, oral co-administration of C5a and Listeria enhances Listeria-specific cytotoxic T cell levels. Collectively, these findings suggest a role of the complement system in intestinal T cell immunity.

The human body is continuously threatened by pathogens, and the immune system must maintain a balance between fighting infection and becoming over-activated.Mucosal surfaces cover several anatomically diverse organs throughout the body, such as the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and are directly exposed to the external environment.Various pathogens invade the body through mucosal surfaces, making the mucosa the frontline of immune defense.The immune systems of various mucosal tissues display distinctive features that reflect the tissues' anatomical and functional characteristics.This review discusses the cellular components that constitute the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts; in particular, it highlights the complex interactions between epithelial and immune cells to induce Ag-specific immune responses in the lung and gut.This information on mucosal immunity may facilitate understanding of the defense mechanisms against infectious agents that invade mucosal surfaces, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and provide insight into effective vaccine development.

Mucosal vaccination is an ideal strategy to induce protective immunity in both mucosal and parenteral areas. Successful induction of an antigen-specific immune response via mucosal administration essentially requires the effective delivery of antigen into a mucosal immune inductive site, which depends on antigen delivery into M cells. We previously reported that M cells specifically express C5aR, and antigen targeting to C5aR by using specific ligands, including Co1 peptide, promotes the antigen-specific immune response in both mucosal and systemic immune compartments. In this study, we found that application of the Co1 peptide to dengue virus antigen containing CD8 T cell epitopes effectively induced an antigen-specific IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cell response after oral mucosal administration of antigen. Consequently, we suggest that Co1 peptide-mediated C5aR targeting of antigen into M cells can be used for the induction of an effective antigen-specific CD8+ T cell immune response in oral mucosal vaccine development.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a contagious coronavirus infecting pigs that leads to significant economic losses in the swine industry. Given that PEDV infection occurs in gut epithelial cells mainly via the fecal-oral route, induction of PEDV-specific immune responses in the mucosal compartment is required for protective immunity against viral infection. However, an effective mucosal vaccine against the currently prevalent PEDV strain is not available. In this study, we demonstrated that the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike (S) protein of PEDV represents a new vaccine candidate molecule to be applied via the mucosal route. We first established an Escherichia coli expression system producing the partial NTD (NTD231-501) of the PEDV S protein. Orally administered NTD231-501 protein specifically interacted with the apical area of M cells in the follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patch. Additionally, the NTD protein induced antigen-specific immune responses in both the systemic and mucosal immune compartments when administered orally. Collectively, we propose the NTD of the PEDV S protein to be a candidate mucosal vaccine molecule.

The regional specialization of intestinal immune cells is affected by the longitudinal heterogeneity of environmental factors. Although the distribution of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) is well characterized in the lamina propria, it is poorly defined in Peyer's patches (PPs) along the intestine. Given that PP ILC3s are closely associated with mucosal immune regulation, it is important to characterize the regulatory mechanism of ILC3s. Here, we found that terminal ileal PPs of specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice have fewer NKp46+ ILC3s than jejunal PPs, while there was no difference in NKp46+ ILC3 numbers between terminal ileal and jejunal PPs in antibiotics (ABX)-treated mice. We also found that butyrate levels in the terminal ileal PPs of SPF mice were higher than those in the jejunal PPs of SPF mice and terminal ileal PPs of ABX-treated mice. The reduced number of NKp46+ ILC3s in terminal ileal PPs resulted in a decrease in Csf2 expression and, in turn, resulted in reduced regulatory T cells and enhanced antigen-specific T-cell proliferation. Thus, we suggest that NKp46+ ILC3s are negatively regulated by microbiota-derived butyrate in terminal ileal PPs and the reduced ILC3 frequency is closely associated with antigen-specific immune induction in terminal ileal PPs.

Peyer’s patches (PPs) are the major mucosal immune-inductive site, and germinal centers (GCs) in PPs determine the quality of the Abs produced. PP GCs are continuously induced by the gut microbiota, and their maintenance contributes to the induction of strong IgA responses to Ags. In this study, we investigated the role of formyl peptide receptor (FPR)-mediated signaling in the maintenance of PP GCs, because FPRs recognize the microbiota and initiate an innate immune response by chemotaxis. We found that follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), a key organizer of B cell follicles and GCs in mucosal immunity, express Fpr2. Additionally, Fpr2-mediated signaling in PP FDCs promoted Cxcl13 and B cell activating factor expression, as well as B cell proliferation and activation. Therefore, we suggest that Fpr2-mediated signaling in FDCs plays a key role in GC maintenance in PPs and results in an Ag-specific IgA response in the gut mucosal immune compartment.

In the intestinal mucosal surface, microfold cells (M cells) are the representative gateway for the uptake of luminal antigens. At the same time, M cells are the primary infection site for pathogens invading mucosal surface for their infection. Although it is well recognized that many mucosal pathogens exploit the M cells for their infection, the mechanism to infect M cells utilized by pathogens is not clearly understood yet. In this study, we found that M cells expressing complement 5a (C5a) receptor (C5aR) also express Toll-like receptor (TLR) 1/2 and TLR4. Infection of Yersinia enterocolitica, an M cell-invading pathogen, synergistically regulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling which are involved in signal crosstalk between C5aR and TLRs. In addition, Y. enterocolitica infection into M cells was enhanced by C5a treatment and this enhancement was abrogated by C5a antagonist treatment. Finally, Y. enterocolitica infection into M cells was unsuccessful in C5aR knock-out mice. Collectively, we suggest that exploit the crosstalk between C5aR and TLR signaling is one of infection mechanisms utilized by mucosal pathogens to infect M cells.

Vaccination is the most successful immunological practice that improves the quality of human life and health. Vaccine materials include antigens of pathogens and adjuvants potentiating the effectiveness of vaccination. Vaccines are categorized using various criteria, including the vaccination material used and the method of administration. Traditionally, vaccines have been injected via needles. However, given that most pathogens first infect mucosal surfaces, there is increasing interest in the establishment of protective mucosal immunity, achieved by vaccination via mucosal routes. This review summarizes recent developments in mucosal vaccines and their associated adjuvants.

Red ginseng is a well-known alternative medicine with anti-inflammatory activity. It exerts pharmacological effects through the transformation of saponin into metabolites by intestinal microbiota. Given that intestinal microflora vary among individuals, the pharmacological effects of red ginseng likely vary among individuals. In order to produce homogeneously effective red ginseng, we prepared probiotic-fermented red ginseng and evaluated its activity using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model in mice. Initial analysis of intestinal damage indicated that the administration of probiotic-fermented red ginseng significantly decreased the severity of colitis, compared with the control and the activity was higher than that induced by oral administration of ginseng powder or probiotics only. Subsequent analysis of the levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α, inflammatory biomarkers that are increased at the initiation stage of colitis, were significantly decreased in probiotic-fermented red ginseng-treated groups in comparison to the control group. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and mRNAs for inflammatory factors in colorectal tissues were also significantly decreased in probiotic-fermented red ginseng-treated groups. Collectively, oral administration of probiotic-fermented red ginseng reduced the severity of colitis in a mouse model, suggesting that it can be used as a uniformly effective red ginseng product.

Context: Red ginseng (heat-processed Panax ginseng) is a well-known alternative medicine with pharmacological antidiabetic activity. It exerts pharmacological effects through the transformation of saponin into metabolites by the intestinal microbiota. Given that intestinal conditions and intestinal microflora vary among individuals, the pharmacological effects of orally administered red ginseng likely may vary among individuals. Objective: To overcome this variation and produce homogeneously effective red ginseng, we evaluated the antidiabetic effects of probiotic-fermented red ginseng in a mouse model. Materials and methods: The antidiabetic efficacy of orally administered probiotic-fermented red ginseng was assessed in ICR mice after induction of diabetes using streptozotocin (170 mg/kg body weight). Samples were given orally for 8 weeks, and indicators involved in diabetic disorders such as body weight change, water intake, blood glucose, glucose tolerance and various biochemical parameters were determined. Results: Oral administration of probiotic-fermented red ginseng significantly decreased the level of blood glucose of about 62.5% in the fasting state and induced a significant increase in glucose tolerance of about 10.2% compared to the control diabetic mice. Additionally, various indicators of diabetes and biochemical data (e.g., blood glycosylated haemoglobin level, serum concentrations of insulin, and alpha-amylase activity) showed a significant improvement in the diabetic conditions of the mice treated with probiotic-fermented red ginseng in comparison with those of control diabetic mice. Discussion and conclusion: Our results demonstrate the antidiabetic effects of probiotic-fermented red ginseng in the streptozotocin-induced mouse diabetes model and suggest that probiotic-fermented red ginseng may be a uniformly effective red ginseng product.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that annually infects more than 390 million people in 100 different countries. Symptoms of the viral infection include a relatively weak dengue fever to severe dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, which are mortal infectious diseases. As of yet, there is no commercially available vaccine or therapeutic for DENV. Currently, passive immunotherapy using DENV-specific antibody (Ab) is a considered strategy to treat DENV infection. Here, we developed a monoclonal Ab (mAb), EDIIImAb-61, specific to the DENV domain III of the envelope glycoprotein (EDIII) with broad-spectrum detection ability to all four DENV serotypes (DENV-1∼4) to use as a therapeutic Ab. Although EDIII contains non-immunodominant epitopes compared to domains I and II, domain III plays a critical role in host receptor binding. EDIIImAb-61 exhibited cross-reactive binding affinity to all four DENV serotypes that had been isolated from infected humans. To further characterize EDIIImAb-61 and prepare genes for large-scale production using a heterologous expression system, the sequence of the complementarity determining regions was analyzed after cloning the full-length cDNA genes encoding the heavy and light chain of the mAb. Finally, we produced Ab from CHO-K1 cells transfected with the cloned EDIIImAb-61 heavy and light chain genes and confirmed the binding ability of the Ab. Collectively, we conclude that EDIIImAb-61 itself and the recombinant Ab produced using the cloned heavy and light chain gene of EDIIImAb-61 is a candidate for passive immunotherapy against DENV infection.

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In various vaccination protocols, induction of germinal center (GC) is one of the critical factors involved in successful immune induction because GC formation results in the production of high affinity antibodies via B cell clonal expansion, somatic hypermutation, and affinity-based B cell selection. Although GC formation in Peyer’s patch (PP) is slowly and spontaneously induced by intestinal microbiota, it is unknown whether follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) in PP directly contribute to the antigen-specific immune response induction. In this study, we found the expression of formyl peptide receptor (FPR-2), a receptor for cathelicidin LL-37 which could play a role as an adjuvant in mucosal vaccine, on FDCs. The interaction between LL-37 and FPR-2 on FDCs promotes the expression of CXCL13 which is closely associated with the GC formation. Based on these findings, we conclude that the adjuvant role of LL-37 in mucosal immune induction is closely associated with the enhancement of GC reaction in PPs by FDC stimulation.

In the intestinal immune system, anatomical and physiological distinctions in the gut contribute to its regional specialization by microbiota and immunomodulatory agents from the diet. Given that the ileal Peyer’s patch (PP) belongs anatomically to the small intestine, while it is physiologically exposed to an environment similar to the large intestine with respect to microbes and microbial metabolites, its characteristics may differ from those in PPs in the jejunum. As the terminal ileal PP is a key mucosal organ where host defense and oral immune tolerance in the gut develop, identification of the specific factors regionally specialized in the tissue is essential to understand mucosal homeostasis. Among the various cell types present in PPs, group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are closely associated with the regulation of commensal bacteria through the suppression of commensal bacteria-specific CD4+ T cells, although the regulation of ILCs in ileal PPs is poorly defined. In this study, we found that butyrate plays a role as a regional specific factor involved in the repression of ILC3s in PPs of the terminal ileum. This butyrate-mediated negative regulation of ILC3s alleviates the tolerogenic mucosal microenvironment by suppressing regulatory T cells in PPs. Collectively, we conclude that the inhibition of ILC3s by microbiota-derived butyrate can confer the functional ability to induce antigen-specific immunity, and that this network contributes to homeostatic regulation of the mucosal immune inductive site.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia and severe economic loss in the swine industry has been caused by the infection. Therefore, the development of an effective vaccine against the bacteria is necessary. ApxII toxin, among several virulence factors expressed by the bacteria, is considered to be a promising vaccine candidate because ApxII toxin not only accompanies cytotoxic and hemolytic activities, but is also expressed in all 15 serotypes of bacteria except serotypes 10 and 14. In this study, we identified the peptide ligand capable of targeting the ligand-conjugated ApxIIA #5 fragment antigen to nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue. It was found that nasal immunization with ligand-conjugated ApxIIA #5 induced efficient mucosal and systemic immune responses measured at the levels of antigen-specific antibodies, cytokine-secreting cells after antigen exposure, and antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation. More importantly, the nasal immunization induced protective immunity against nasal challenge infection of the bacteria, which was confirmed by histopathological studies and bacterial clearance after challenge infection. Collectively, we confirmed that the ligand capable of targeting the ligand-conjugated antigen to nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue can be used as an effective nasal vaccine adjuvant to induce protective immunity against A. pleuropneumoniae infection.

Interactions between microbes and epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal tract are closely associated with regulation of intestinal mucosal immune responses. Recent studies have highlighted the modulation of mucosal immunity by microbe-derived molecules such as ATP and short-chain fatty acids. In this study, we undertook to characterize the expression of the ATP-gated P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) on M cells and its role in gastrointestinal mucosal immune regulation because it was poorly characterized in Peyer's patches, although purinergic signaling via P2X7R and luminal ATP have been considered to play an important role in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we present the first report on the expression of P2X7R on M cells and characterize the role of P2X7R in immune enhancement by ATP or LL-37.

Abstract Intestinal epithelial cells which are exposed to microbes tightly restrict the influx of luminal antigens. They also contribute to establish the tolerogenic immune microenvironment through the induction of retinoic acid, TGF-β, and IL-25 production. However, intestinal contents are continuously introduced into Peyer’s patches through M cells which are specialized epithelial cells to take up the luminal antigens. Consequently, Peyer’s patches constitute specialized immune microenvironment. Although the mechanism for luminal antigen uptake into M cells is not clearly defined, many studies suggest the role of apical proteins of M cells as a mediator for antigen influx. Here, we report the expression of C5aR, TLR 1/2, ATP-gated P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), and formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR-2) on apical area of M cells. In addition, we found that receptor itself and/or crosstalk among these receptors were able to regulate not only modulation of the Peyer’s patch microenvironment but also transcytosis of luminal antigens. Especially, when LL-37, one of ligands for P2X7R and FPR-2, was applied to oral mucosal vaccine model, it promoted the induction of antigen-specific immune response through M cell antigen-targeting and modulation of Peyer’s patch microenvironment. Collectively, we conclude that interaction between luminal antigens and apical receptors on M cells initiate the signaling for immune induction and that these receptors could be used as new targets for oral vaccine delivery.