Epithelial MHC class II directs microbiota-specific intestinal immune homeostasis

Dysregulated immune responses to resident microbes promote pathologic inflammation, however, the mechanisms instructing commensal-specific T cells remain poorly understood. Here, we find that non-hematopoietic intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) represent the primary cells expressing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II at the intestinal host-microbiota interface. Interestingly, epithelial MHCII and commensal-specific CD4+ T cells were concurrently induced by post-natal microbiota colonization, provoking the hypothesis that epithelial MHCII regulates local commensal-specific CD4+ T cells. While MHCII on classical antigen presenting cells directs expansion of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells, loss of IEC-intrinsic MHCII surprisingly led to elevated commensal-specific CD4+ T cells in the intestine. Further, epithelial MHCII expression actively limited accumulation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in adult mice. Expansion of commensal-specific Th17 cells was restricted by epithelial MHCII, and remarkably mice lacking epithelial MHCII were highly susceptible to microbiota-triggered inflammation. Collectively, these data indicate that impaired epithelial MHCII-T cell regulation within mucosal tissues alters microbiota-specific immunity and predisposes to chronic inflammation. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.