Abstract
Immune development is greatly influenced by vertically transferred cues. However, beyond B cells, little is known about the role of other subsets of the maternal immune system in regulating offspring immunity. We found that mice born from γδT cell-deficient (TCRδ-/-) dams display, early after birth, a pulmonary milieu selectively enriched in type-2 cytokines such as IL-33, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and type-2-polarized immune cells, when compared to the progeny of γδT cell-sufficient dams. In addition, upon helminth infection, mice born from TCRδ-/- dams sustained an increased type-2 inflammatory response. Critically, this was independent of the genotype of the pups. The intestinal microbiota in the offspring of TCRδ-/- and TCRδ+/- dams harbored distinct bacterial communities acquired during birth and fostering, which were accompanied by changes in intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) profiles. Importantly, antibiotic treatment abrogated the differences in the pulmonary milieu, and exogenous SCFA supplementation suppressed first-breath- and infection-induced inflammation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
