%0 Journal Article %J Science %D 2012 %T Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function %A Olszak, Torsten %A An, Dingding %A Zeissig, Sebastian %A Vera, Miguel Pinilla %A Richter, Julia %A Franke, Andre %A Glickman, Jonathan N %A Siebert, Reiner %A Baron, Rebecca M %A Kasper, Dennis L %A Blumberg, Richard S %K Aging %K Animals %K Animals, Newborn %K Antigens, CD1d %K Asthma %K Bacteria %K Chemokine CXCL16 %K Chemokine CXCL6 %K Colitis, Ulcerative %K Colon %K Disease Models, Animal %K Disease Susceptibility %K DNA Methylation %K Germ-Free Life %K Intestinal Mucosa %K Intestines %K Lung %K Mice %K Mice, Inbred C57BL %K Natural Killer T-Cells %K Oxazolone %K Receptors, CXCR %K Receptors, CXCR6 %K Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms %X Exposure to microbes during early childhood is associated with protection from immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma. Here, we show that in germ-free (GF) mice, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells accumulate in the colonic lamina propria and lung, resulting in increased morbidity in models of IBD and allergic asthma as compared with that of specific pathogen-free mice. This was associated with increased intestinal and pulmonary expression of the chemokine ligand CXCL16, which was associated with increased mucosal iNKT cells. Colonization of neonatal-but not adult-GF mice with a conventional microbiota protected the animals from mucosal iNKT accumulation and related pathology. These results indicate that age-sensitive contact with commensal microbes is critical for establishing mucosal iNKT cell tolerance to later environmental exposures. %B Science %V 336 %P 489-93 %8 2012 Apr 27 %G eng %N 6080 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22442383?dopt=Abstract