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. 2000 Nov;47(5):735–739. doi: 10.1136/gut.47.5.735

Unsolved mysteries of intestinal M cells

C NICOLETTI 1
PMCID: PMC1728097  PMID: 11034595

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Figure 1  .

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In Peyer's patches, the lymphoid tissue (LT) is separated from the intestinal lumen (IL) by the follicle associated epithelium (FAE) (A). The cells forming the FAE originate in the closely associated crypts (C) and migrate upwards to the apical region of the dome. Lymphoid follicles are embedded within villi (V). Part of the FAE is indicated in the box (arrowhead) and enlarged (B) to show a typical M cell (M) with adjacent enterocytes (E). The basal membrane of the M cells deeply invaginates forming cytoplasmic pockets (P) harbouring lymphoid cells migrating into them from the lymphoid tissue. M cells also possess basal processes that deeply protrude into the lymphoid tissue (asterisks) where they make contact with cells of the immune system. Enterobacteria (eb) and other antigens adhere to the apical area of the M cells and are subsequently internalised and transported to the mucosal immune system. M cells are also a migration route for lymphocytes moving into the intestinal lumen. The function of these intraluminal cells, the number of which markedly increases after bacterial challenge, remains unknown.

Selected References

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