ABSTRACT: Although microbiota plays a critical role for the normal development and function of host immune systems, the detail of the influence, especially on those in the large intestine (LI), remains unknown. Here, we performed transcriptome analysis using Affymetrix GeneChip on LI of germ-free (GF) and specific pathogen free (SPF) mice of IQI, an inbred strain established from ICR. Experiment Overall Design: Male germ-free (GF) and specific pathogen-free (SPF) IQI/Jic mice were bred and maintained in the laboratory of Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA, Kawasaki, Kanagwa, Japan). GF mice were housed in a Trexler-type flexible film isolator in a standard germ free state and screened on a weekly basis for germ-free status by sampling feces sterilely and culturing on MRS-agar plates under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. All the GF, SPF, ex-GF mice were kept in a 12: 12-h light/dark cycle and at a temperature of 22+-2 ºC. Nine week old mice (n=3) were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and the colon was dissected (the colon was not divided into proximal and distal sections and was treated as a single intestinal section). Experiment Overall Design: The SPF mice were provided by the Central Institute for Experimental Animals of Japan. These mice were determined free of the following pathogens (by various techniques including culture, microscopic observation, serological test, and PCR): Dermatophytes, Citrobacter rodentium, Pasteurella pneumotropica, Corynebacterium kutscheri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Mycoplasma pulmonis, Corynebacterium kutscheri, Salmonella typhimurium, Clostridium piliforme, Mycoplasma pulmonis, Mouse hepatitis virus, Sendai virus, Ectromelia virus, Lymphocytic c. virus, Hantavirus, Giardia muris, Spironucleus muris, Syphacia spp., Aspiculuris tetraptera, Ectoparasits, Intestinalprotozoa, Pinworm, Pneumocystis carinii, Helicobacter hepaticus, Helicobacter bilis, EDIM virus(Rotavirus), Pneumonia virus of mice, Minute virus of mice, Mouse adenovirus, Mouse cytomegalovirus, Mouse encephalomyelitis virus, Reovirus type3, and CAR bacillus.
