Recent advances in the field of immunometabolism support the concept that fundamental processes in T cell biology, such as TCR-mediated activation and T helper lineage differentiation, are closely linked to changes in the cellular metabolic programs. Although the major task of the intermediate metabolism is to provide the cell with a constant supply of energy and molecular precursors for the production of biomolecules, the dynamic regulation of metabolic pathways also plays an active role in shaping T cell responses. Key metabolic processes such as glycolysis, fatty acid and mitochondrial metabolism are now recognized as crucial players in T cell activation and differentiation, and their modulation can differentially affect the development of T helper cell lineages. In this review, we describe the diverse metabolic processes that T cells engage during their life cycle from naïve towards effector and memory T cells. We consider in particular how the cellular metabolism may actively support the function of T cells in their different states. Moreover, we discuss how molecular regulators such as mTOR or AMPK link environmental changes to adaptations in the cellular metabolism and elucidate the consequences on T cell differentiation and function.

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are major regulators of inflammation and infection at mucosal barriers1. ILC3 development has been considered to be programmed1. Nevertheless, how ILC3 perceive, integrate and respond to local environmental signals remains unclear. Here we show that ILC3 sense their environment and control gut defence as part of a novel glial-ILC3-epithelial cell unit orchestrated by neurotrophic factors. We found that enteric ILC3 express the neuroregulatory receptor RET. ILC3-autonomous Ret ablation led to decreased innate interleukin-22 (IL-22), impaired epithelial reactivity, dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to bowel inflammation and infection. Neurotrophic factors directly controlled innate II22, downstream of p38 MAPK/ERK-AKT cascade and STAT3 activation. Strikingly, ILC3 were adjacent to neurotrophic factor expressing glial cells that exhibited stellate-shaped projections into ILC3 aggregates. Glial cells sensed microenvironmental cues in a MYD88 dependent manner to control neurotrophic factors and innate IL-22. Accordingly, glial-intrinsic Myd88 deletion led to impaired ILC3-derived IL-22 and pronounced propensity to gut inflammation and infection. Our work sheds light into a novel multi-tissue defence unit, revealing glial cells as central hubs of neuron and innate immune regulation via neurotrophic factor signals.

Background: The cross-talk between the host and its microbiota plays a key role in the promotion of health. The production of metabolites such as polyamines by intestinal-resident bacteria is part of this symbiosis shaping host immunity. The polyamines putrescine, spermine, and spermidine are abundant within the gastrointestinal tract and might substantially contribute to gut immunity.Objective: We aimed to characterize the polyamine spermidine as a modulator of T-cell differentiation and function. Methods: Naive T cells were isolated from wild-type mice or cord blood from healthy donors and submitted to polarizing cytokines, with and without spermidine treatment, to evaluate CD4 1 T-cell differentiation in vitro. Moreover, mice were subjected to oral supplementation of spermidine, or its