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  • Review Article
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How bile acids and the microbiota interact to shape host immunity

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 24, pages 798–809 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Bile acids are increasingly appearing in the spotlight owing to their novel impacts on various host processes. Similarly, there is growing attention on members of the microbiota that are responsible for bile acid modifications. With recent advances in technology enabling the discovery and continued identification of microbially conjugated bile acids, the chemical complexity of the bile acid landscape in the body is increasing at a rapid pace. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of how bile acids and the gut microbiota interact to modulate immune responses during homeostasis and disease, with a particular focus on the gut.

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Fig. 1: Bile acid modifications mediated by the host and by microorganisms.
Fig. 2: It takes a community: generating diverse secondary bile acids.
Fig. 3: Proposed mechanisms of mucosal immunity modulation by bile acids.

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Acknowledgements

M.H.L. was supported by T32 DK007202 and F32 AI169989. M.R. and P.C.D. were funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants AI126277 and DK136117. H.C. was funded by the NIH grant AI167860. M.R. and H.C. were supported by AMED grant JP233fa627003, by the Chiba University-University of California-San Diego (UCSD) Center for Mucosal Immunology, Allergy and Vaccines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Host–Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Paediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Michael H. Lee, Sean-Paul Nuccio & Manuela Raffatellu

  2. Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Ipsita Mohanty & Pieter C. Dorrestein

  3. Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Lee R. Hagey

  4. Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Pieter C. Dorrestein

  5. Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Pieter C. Dorrestein, Hiutung Chu & Manuela Raffatellu

  6. Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Hiutung Chu

  7. Chiba University-UC San Diego Center for Mucosal Immunology, Allergy and Vaccines (CU-UCSD cMAV), La Jolla, CA, USA

    Hiutung Chu & Manuela Raffatellu

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and discussion of the article. M.H.L. wrote the first version of the manuscript with contributions from L.R.H. and I.M. M.H.L. and I.M. designed the original concepts for the figures. S.-P.N., P.C.D., H.C. and M.R. provided critical comments. M.H.L., S.-P.N. and M.R. reviewed and edited the manuscript pre-submission and post-submission. All authors approved the submitted version of the article.

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Correspondence to Manuela Raffatellu.

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Competing interests

P.C.D. consulted for DSM animal health in 2023, is an adviser and holds equity in Cybele, bileOmix and Sirenas and a Scientific co-founder, adviser and holds equity in Ometa, Enveda and Arome with prior approval by UC San Diego. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Lee, M.H., Nuccio, SP., Mohanty, I. et al. How bile acids and the microbiota interact to shape host immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 24, 798–809 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-024-01057-x

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