Shaggy microbes aid immune system

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Shaggy microbes found in mice could help determine how intestinal bacteria protect against harmful pathogens, a scientist in New York said.

The long-haired microbes help mice keep their immune systems in balance, said Dr. Dan Littman of the Langone Medical Center.

"These bacteria are the most astounding things I've ever seen," said Littman, who is collaborating with scientists in Japan.

The shaggy bacteria, called segmented filamentous bacterium, act like watchdogs at key locations within the small intestine, triggering an alarm when something seems amiss in the local microbial community, Littman said.

The bacterium appear to trigger specialized TH17 helper cells, which tell epithelial cells to increase their output of specialized molecules, which fight harmful pathogens, such as virulent forms of E. coli, Littman said.

"So you can immediately see some practical application of this, if one can mimic the presence of these commensal bacteria to strengthen resistance to pathogenic microbes," Littman said in a release Thursday.