Abstract
Mast cells are tissue-resident, innate immune cells present in most tissues of the body and are important effector and immunomodulatory cells. Differentiated mast cells typically are characterized by the surface expression of the receptors KIT and FcεRI, the latter especially being important for stimulation through IgE antibodies, although these cells have the ability to respond to a wide variety of environmental signals, to which they can variably react by releasing pre-stored or de novo–synthesized mediators or both. Since mast cells terminate their differentiation in their tissue of residence in response to specific microenvironmental cues, each tissue may comprise unique mast cell subtypes, and responses are tailored to the danger signals that are likely to be encountered in each anatomical location. From a transcriptional point of view, these cells therefore must be endowed with epigenetic and transcriptional programs that allow them to maintain a stable identity and at the same time allow sufficient plasticity to adapt to different environmental challenges. In this commentary, we highlight some of the recent findings that advanced our understanding of the transcriptional and epigenetic programs regulating mast cell functions.
Highlights
Mast cells are tissue-resident, innate immune cells present in most tissues of the body and are important effector and immunomodulatory cells
Introduction: how many types of mast cells are there and what do they do? Mast cells are one of the innate immune cell types involved in the first line of defense from pathogens that attempt to breach the epithelial barriers of our organism[1,2]
Highlighting once again the complications associated with studies of tissueresident cells, the authors found that incubating peritoneal mast cells in the presence of the digestion enzymes required for tissue extraction was already sufficient to alter the expression of more than 100 genes, including the gene encoding for the transcription factor Egr[2]
Summary
Thanks to the development of novel mouse models and to technological advancements allowing the in vivo visualization of mast cells and their in-depth molecular analysis, we are learning more about the role of these cells in various models of disease and inflammatory responses, and we are better able to dissect some of the mechanistic aspects of such responses. The combination of traditional in vitro and single-molecule studies with single-cell genomic and genome-wide approaches[70] will certainly improve our understanding of mast cell subsets and functions, potentially allowing us to analyze them within the physiological context of their microenvironment. Such developing tools will surely provide definite answers to many of the questions about mast cell biology in health and disease which we are just starting to address. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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