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Enterocytes / Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IECs) reside in both small intestine and Distal Colon / Colon / Large Intestine; however, Paneth cells and Microfold cells (M cell) reside only in the small intestine.
Enterocytes / Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IECs) include absorptive epithelial, Paneth, and goblet cells. Their main role is to mediate signals between gut microbes and immune cells
Enterocytes are sealed by specific junctional proteins consisting of tight junctions found at the apical end of junctional complexes. Tight junctions are complex and dynamic structures, contacting neighboring intestinal epithelial cells comprising multiple protein families, such as occludins, claudins, and Junctional Adhesion Molecules (JAMs)). They bind intracellular membrane proteins, the zonula occludens (ZOs), which connects the transmembrane tight junction to the actin skeleton
Portincasa et al. 2022a Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23: 1105
The epithelium is located in between the mucosal immune system and the gut microbiome.
The intestinal epithelium is one of the largest exposed surfaces of the human body and is a very important interface for integrating microenvironmental information with physiological signals from the immune, cardiovascular, and nervous systems
The epithelium does not stand alone, but rather as a triad with immune cells and the mesenchyme
Enterocytes / Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IECs) form physical and chemical barriers segregating the luminal microbial community and the mucosal immune system.
Epithelial cells produce and release a variety of biomolecules into the mucosa and lumen that contribute to immunity.
Secondary bile acids are passively absorbed by the colonic enterocyte for return to the liver
In the mature adult epithelium, a large number of stimulatory innate immune receptor-mediated signals facilitate the production of soluble mediators that recruit myeloid cells, T and B cells
Fulde & Hornef 2014 Immunol Rev 260: 21-34.
The intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid physiological renewal with a continuous turnover every 3–5 days, supported by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) in the crypts
The Entire Epithelium Is Renewed within 4–7 Days. The enterocytes, also known as intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), are responsible for uptake and absorption processes, as well as for lipid metabolism.
see also:
Gut microbiota & Immunity
Gut microbiota & Intestinal immune cells