2. Academic Validation
  3. Microbiota-induced EI24 improves homeostasis but impedes function of alveolar macrophages via metabolic regulation

Microbiota-induced EI24 improves homeostasis but impedes function of alveolar macrophages via metabolic regulation

  • Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 31;17(1):2227. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-69000-3.
Yuanyuan Huang 1,  Miya Su 1,  Yuwei Zhang 1,  Jun Pan 1,  Yu Wang 1,  Dongsheng Chen 1,  Xuran Chen 1,  Chenxi Tian 1,  Huimin Zhang 1,  Qiuying Sun 1,  Lin Yuan 2,  Binqing Fu 1,  Wei Jiang 1,  Shuhang Li 3,  Di Xie 4,  Li Bai 5 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
  • 2 Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 3 Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China. [email protected].
  • 4 State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. [email protected].
  • 5 State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. [email protected].
  • 6 Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China. [email protected].
PMID: 41620436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69000-3
Abstract

Lung microenvironment controls the homeostasis and function of alveolar macrophages (AMs), the major regulators of lung immunity, but the underlying mechanisms, particularly the role of microbiota, remain unclear. Here, with Lyz2creEi24fl/fl mice, we report that EI24 deficiency in macrophages disrupts AMs homeostasis but enhances their phagocytosis and inflammatory responses via metabolic rewiring. Consequently, Lyz2creEi24fl/fl mice exhibit resistance to viral Infection and tumor metastasis in lung. Notably, EI24 expression in AMs is upregulated by commensal microbiota through TLR2/4 signaling. These data demonstrate that microbiota upregulates EI24 in AMs to favor their homeostasis, but it retards their immune surveillance function in the lung. Our study thus indicates that deleting EI24 enhances anti-viral and anti-tumor effects of macrophage-based immunotherapy.

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