Microfold (M) cells are epithelial cells present in mucosal tissues and specialized for the capture of luminal microparticles and their delivery to underlying immune cells; thus, they are crucial participants in mucosal immune surveillance. Multiple phenotypic subsets of M cells have now been described, all sharing a unique apical morphology that provides clues to their ability to capture microbial particles. The existence of diverse M cell phenotypes, especially inflammation-inducible M cells, provides an intriguing puzzle: some variants may augment luminal surveillance to boost mucosal immunity, while others may promote microbial access to tissues. Here, I consider the unique induction requirements of each M cell subset and functional differences, highlighting the potentially distinct consequences in mucosal immunity.

中文翻译：

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警惕还是颠覆？粘膜组织中的本构性和诱导性M细胞

微褶（M）细胞是存在于粘膜组织中的上皮细胞，专门用于捕获腔微粒并将其传递到下面的免疫细胞；因此，它们是粘膜免疫监测的关键参与者。现在已经描述了M细胞的多个表型子集，它们都具有独特的顶端形态，这为它们捕获微生物颗粒的能力提供了线索。多种M细胞表型的存在，特别是炎症诱导性M细胞的存在，提供了一个令人着迷的谜题：某些变体可能会增强管腔监测以增强粘膜免疫力，而另一些变体可能会促进微生物进入组织。在这里，我考虑了每个M细胞亚群的独特诱导要求和功能差异，突出了粘膜免疫的潜在不同后果。