Gut microbiota drives macrophage-dependent self-renewal of intestinal stem cells via niche enteric serotonergic neurons

Lgr5(+) intestinal stem cells (ISCs) reside within specialized niches at the crypt base and harbor self-renewal and differentiation capacities. ISCs in the crypt base are sustained by their surrounding niche for precise modulation of self-renewal and differentiation. However, how intestinal cells in the crypt niche and microbiota in enteric cavity coordinately regulate ISC stemness remains unclear. Here, we show that ISCs are regulated by microbiota and niche enteric serotonergic neurons. The gut microbiota metabolite valeric acid promotes Tph2 expression in enteric serotonergic neurons via blocking the recruitment of the NuRD complex onto Tph2 promoter. 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in turn activates PGE2 production in a PGE2(+) macrophage subset through its receptors HTR2A/3 A; and PGE2 via binding its receptors EP1/EP4, promotes Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in ISCs to promote their self-renewal. Our findings illustrate a complex crosstalk among microbiota, intestinal nerve cells, intestinal immune cells and ISCs, revealing a new layer of ISC regulation by niche cells and microbiota.

Automated summary

This study reveals how microbiota and the intestinal environment coordinately regulate intestinal stem cells through the activation of enteric serotonergic neurons and the promotion of specific signaling pathways between cells. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the regulation mechanism of intestinal stem cells.