3D image of mouse jejunum tuft cells : A free-floating cryosection was immunostained with a tuft cell marker (anti-phospho-specific antibody against Girdin tyrosine-1798; pY1798 antibody from Immuno-Biological Laboratories) following an established method (Kuga D et al. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry 65(6) 347-366, Mizutani Y et al. Journal of Visualized Experiments (133) e57475). SAMPLE: Cryosectioned free-floating DDY mouse jejunum (green: phospho-Girdin at tyrosine 1798, red: phalloidin, blue: DAPI) prepared by Iida M, Tanaka M, Asai M in Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center (Kasugai Japan). 3D-video edited by Ito T (Nikon Instech Japan). MICROSCOPE: NIKON A1R-TiE. OBJECTIVE LENS: Plan Apo λ 60x Oil.
Tuft cells are chemosensory cells in the epithelial lining of the intestines . Similar tufted cells are found in the respiratory epithelium where they are known as brush cells .[ 1] The name "tuft" refers to the brush-like microvilli projecting from the cells. Ordinarily there are very few tuft cells present but they have been shown to greatly increase at times of a parasitic infection .[ 2] Several studies have proposed a role for tuft cells in defense against parasitic infection. In the intestine, tuft cells are the sole source of secreted interleukin 25 (IL-25).[ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
ATOH1 is required for tuft cell specification but not for maintenance of a mature differentiated state, and knockdown of Notch results in increased numbers of tuft cells.[ 5]
^ Gerbe F, Jay P (November 2016). "Intestinal tuft cells: epithelial sentinels linking luminal cues to the immune system" (PDF) . Mucosal Immunology . 9 (6): 1353–1359. doi :10.1038/mi.2016.68 . PMID 27554294 .
^ Leslie M (March 28, 2019). "Closing in on a century-old mystery, scientists are figuring out what the body's 'tuft cells' do". Science . doi :10.1126/science.aax4947 . S2CID 193049740 .
^ Harris N (March 2016). "IMMUNOLOGY. The enigmatic tuft cell in immunity". Science . 351 (6279): 1264–5. Bibcode :2016Sci...351.1264H . doi :10.1126/science.aaf5215 . PMID 26989236 . S2CID 206648737 .
^ Howitt MR, Lavoie S, Michaud M, Blum AM, Tran SV, Weinstock JV, et al. (March 2016). "Tuft cells, taste-chemosensory cells, orchestrate parasite type 2 immunity in the gut" . Science . 351 (6279): 1329–33. Bibcode :2016Sci...351.1329H . doi :10.1126/science.aaf1648 . PMC 5528851 . PMID 26847546 .
^ a b Gerbe F, Legraverend C, Jay P (September 2012). "The intestinal epithelium tuft cells: specification and function" . Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences . 69 (17): 2907–17. doi :10.1007/s00018-012-0984-7 . PMC 3417095 . PMID 22527717 .