Airway epithelial cells, once considered a simple barrier layer, are now recognized as providing an active site for antigen sensing and immune response initiation. Most mucosal sites contain chemosensory epithelial cells, rare and specialized cells gaining recognition for their unique functions in sensing and directing the immune response symphony. In this issue of the JCI, Hollenhorst, Nandigama, et al. demonstrated that tracheal chemosensory brush cells detected bitter-tasting substances, including quorum-sensing molecules (QSMs) generated by pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The authors used various techniques, including genetic deletion of brush cells, genetic manipulation of brush cell signaling, deletion of sensory neurons, in vivo imaging, and infection models with P. aeruginosa, to show that QSMs increased vascular permeability and innate immune cell influx into the trachea. These findings link the recognition of bacterial QSMs to the innate immune response in the airways, with translational implications for airway inflammation and infectious pathology.

中文翻译：

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刷细胞微调气道神经源性炎症

气道上皮细胞曾经被认为是一个简单的屏障层，现在被认为是抗原感应和免疫反应启动的活性位点。大多数粘膜部位含有化学感应上皮细胞，稀有和特殊的细胞因其在感知和指挥免疫反应交响乐中的独特功能而获得认可。在本期JCI中，Hollenhorst、Nandigama 等人。证明气管化学感应刷细胞检测到苦味物质，包括由致病性铜绿假单胞菌产生的群体感应分子 (QSM) 。作者使用了多种技术，包括刷细胞基因缺失、刷细胞信号传导基因操作、感觉神经元缺失、体内成像和感染模型P. _ aeruginosa，以表明 QSM 增加了血管通透性和先天免疫细胞流入气管。这些发现将细菌 QSM 的识别与气道中的先天免疫反应联系起来，对气道炎症和感染病理学具有转化意义。