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Tuft cell-derived acetylcholine is an effector of type 2 immunity and directly targets helminth parasites in the gut lumen

Ndjim, M.; Herbert, F.; Gasmi, I.; Josephine, C.; Henry, S.; Turtoi, E.; Thirard, S.; Giordano, A.; Ciancia, C.; Britton, C.; Devaney, E.; McNeilly, T. N.; Berrard, S.; Turtoi, A.; Maizels, R. M.; Gerbe, F.; Jay, P.

2023-12-08 immunology
10.1101/2023.12.08.570757 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Upon parasitic helminth infection, activated intestinal tuft cells secrete IL-25, which initiates a type 2 immune response during which lamina propria ILC2s produce IL-13. This causes epithelial remodelling, including tuft cell hyperplasia with an unknown function. We describe a novel cholinergic effector function of tuft cells, which we show are the only epithelial cells expressing Choline Acetyltransferase (ChAT). During parasite infections, mice with epithelial-specific deletion of ChAT have increased worm burden and faecal egg counts although they are able to mount a comparable type 2 immune response. Mechanistically, IL-13-amplified tuft cells release acetylcholine (ACh) into the gut lumen. We demonstrate a direct effect of ACh on worms, reducing their viability and fecundity via helminth muscarinic ACh receptors, with effects promoted by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, an helminth-secreted enzyme. Thus, tuft cells are sentinels in naive mice, and their amplification upon helminth infections serves an additional type 2 immune response effector function.

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