Commensal Escherichia coli colonization triggers Peyer's patch development

Gerner, R. R.; Walker, G. T.; Klaus, S. M.; Melchior, K.; Hossain, S.; Siada, K.; Hsu, C.-Y.; Albicoro, F. J.; Santus, W.; Patkar, R.; Carrillo-Terrazas, M.; Norton, G. J.; Thelen, F.; Perez-Lopez, A.; Sharma, P.; Wong, M. P.; Lei, V.; Ransohoff, R. M.; Lo, D. D.; Lane, T. E.; Reboldi, A.; Nuccio, S.-P.; Behnsen, J.; Zuniga, E. I.; Lu, L.-F.; Tukel, C.; Chu, H.; Raffatellu, M.

doi:10.1101/2025.10.06.680803

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.06.680803

Commensal Escherichia coli colonization triggers Peyer's patch development

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Abstract

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in shaping mucosal immunity, yet the specific microbes contributing to lymphoid tissue development remain poorly defined. Here, we identify Escherichia coli, a pioneer commensal bacterium, as a key driver of naive B cell accumulation in gut Peyers patches and lamina propria via a CXCR2-dependent mechanism. We show that E. coli promotes B cell recruitment through the production of curli amyloid fibers, which signal via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Notably, this effect extends beyond the neonatal period, revealing a broader temporal window for microbial modulation of mucosal immune development. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for a defined gut commensal bacterium and its molecular products in orchestrating the formation of gut-associated lymphoid tissue and B cell recruitment.

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Gerner, R. R., Walker, G. T., Klaus, S. M., Melchior, K., Hossain, S., Siada, K., Hsu, C.-Y., Albicoro, F. J., Santus, W., Patkar, R., Carrillo-Terrazas, M., Norton, G. J., Thelen, F., Perez-Lopez, A., Sharma, P., Wong, M. P., Lei, V., Ransohoff, R. M., Lo, D. D., Lane, T. E., Reboldi, A., Nuccio, S.-P., Behnsen, J., Zuniga, E. I., Lu, L.-F., Tukel, C., Chu, H., Raffatellu, M.. 2025-10-07. Commensal Escherichia coli colonization triggers Peyer's patch development. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.06.680803

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