Notch-activated basophils support intestinal CD4+ T cell fate and function during helminth infection

Helminth infections affect billions of people worldwide and cause substantial morbidity. Intestinal helminth infection provokes Type 2 inflammation orchestrated by CD4+ T helper 2 (Th2) cells. Th2s produce interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 that prompt an epithelial “weep and sweep” response to drive parasite clearance. Tissue-specific cues optimize CD4+ T cell responses, but the mechanisms regulating intestinal Th2 responses remain unclear. Previously, we identified that the Notch signaling pathway in basophils, rare granulocytes, drove effective parasite clearance and an optimal Th2 response during Trichurismuris infection, a mouse model of human whipworm. Here we report basophil-intrinsic Notch was required for infection-elicited Th2 cytokine responses and a broader IL-4 production program across intestinal CD4+ T cell subsets. In vitro, basophils supported CD4+ T cell cytokine production in a contact-dependent manner, independent of basophil-secreted factors, and was dependent on autocrine IL-4 production from CD4+ T cells. In vivo, basophil-intrinsic Notch mediated basophil-Th2 cell interactions in the cecum during infection. Thus, Notch-programmed basophils act in a contact-dependent manner to optimize intestinal CD4+ T cell function during helminth infection. These findings improve our understanding of the tissue-specific mechanisms regulating intestinal CD4+ T cell responses at inflamed mucosal barriers during Type 2 immunity.