ABSTRACT
Type 17 cytokines have been strongly implicated in mucosal immunity, in part by regulating the production of antimicrobial peptides. Using a mouse model of Citrobacter rodentium infection, which causes colitis, we found that intestinal IL-17RA and IL-17RC were partially required for control of infection in the colon and IL-17 regulates the production of luminal hydrogen peroxide as well as expression of Tnsf13 Reduced Tnfsf13 expression was associated with a profound defect in generating C. rodentium-specific IgA+ Ab-secreting cells. Taken together, intestinal IL-17R signaling plays key roles in controlling invading pathogens, in part by regulating luminal hydrogen peroxide as well as regulating the generation of pathogen-specific IgA+ Ab-secreting cells.
