Project description:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract affecting over 3 million adults in the United States. Despite being widespread, reliable early diagnostic tests are not available. In order to remedy this, we examined exosomal small RNA (smRNA), specifically targeting microRNA (miRNA) and piRNA from the stool samples of IBD model mice, interleukin 10 knockout mice (IL-10 KO), as a potential diagnostic marker. Stool samples were specifically chosen because they are readily available and collection is noninvasive.
Project description:Disruption of the epithelial barrier is considered a potential cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we employed the NEMOIEC-KO mouse model to study the immune mechanisms triggering chronic colitis downstream of an epithelial barrier defect. Colitis in NEMOIEC-KO mice is driven by commensal bacteria sensing through MyD88 signaling. The IL-12p40-related cytokines are induced upon microbial sensing and are known to act critically in promoting intestinal inflammation. Yet, the relative contribution of IL-12 versus IL-23 in eliciting intestinal pathology has been controversial. Using IL-12p40, IL-12p35 and IL-23p19 knockout mice we assessed the functional contribution of IL-12 and IL-23 to intestinal inflammation in the NEMOIEC-KO model.
Project description:IBD is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by dysregulated interactions between host immune responses and microbiome at the intestinal epithelium interface. Here we identified shared protein alterations in intestinal epithelial differentiation and function between IBD and Citrobacter rodentium infected FVB mice. We discovered that prophylactic treatment with the mucosal healing therapy IL-22.Fc in the infected FVB mice reduced disease severity and rescued the mice from lethality. Notably, we observed an emergence of intermediate undifferentiated intestinal epithelial cells upon infection, with disrupted expression of the solute transporter machinery as well as components critical for intestinal barrier integrity. Multi-omics analyses revealed that with IL-22.Fc treatment several disease associated changes were prevented (including disruption of the solute transporter machinery), and proper physiological homeostatic functions of the intestine was restored. Taken together, we unveiled the disease relevance of the C. rodentium induced colitis model to IBD and demonstrated the protective role of the mucosal healing therapy IL-22.Fc in ameliorating the epithelial dysfunction.
Project description:Low vitamin D status has been implicated in the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study used interleukin (IL)-10 knockout (KO) mice, that develop an intestinal inflammation when housed in a non-sterile environment, to determine if supplementation with vitamin D throughout life impacts colonic gene expression. Results provide important information on the intestinal response to vitamin D in inflamed mice.
Project description:Fumarate hydratase (FH) mutations predispose to renal cysts cancer. These cancers overexpress hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (Hif-1a). We have generated a conditional Fh1 (mouse FH) knockout mice that develop renal cysts and overexpress Hif-1a. In order to identify the contribution of Hif-1a to cyst formation we have intercrossed our mice with conditional HIf-1a KO mice. We intercrossed Fh1/Hif1a mice with kidney specific cre recombinase (Ksp-Cre) and analysed kidney cyst formation. RNA was extracted from cysts from 4xFh1 KO, 4xFh1/Hif-1a KO and 4 control mice. For each comparison littermates were used and the animals were aged 15 weeks i.e. early cystic disease.
Project description:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex and relapsing inflammatory disease, and patients with IBD exhibit a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Epithelial barrier disruption is one of the major causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which epigenetic modulations are pivotal elements. However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the epithelial barrier integrity regulation remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated how SETD2, a histone H3K36 trimethyltransferase, maintains intestinal epithelial homeostasis under inflammatory conditions. GEO public database and IBD tissues were used to investigate the clinical relevance of SetD2 in IBD. To define the role of SetD2 in the colitis, we generated mice with epithelial-specific deletion of Setd2 (Setd2Vil-KO mice). Acute colitis was induced by 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and colitis-associated CRC was induced by injecting azoxymethane (AOM), followed by three cycles of 2% DSS treatments. Colon tissues were collected from mice and analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry and immunoblots. Organoids were generated from Setd2Vil-KO and control mice, and were stained with 7-AAD to detect apoptosis. We isolated intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), performed RNA-seq and H3K36me3 ChIP-seq analysis to uncover the mechanism. Results were validated in functional rescue experiments by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) treatment and transgenes expression in IECs. SETD2 expression was decreased in IBD patients and DSS-treated colitis mice. Setd2Vil-KO mice had abnormal loss of mucosa-producing goblet cells and antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-producing Paneth cells, and promoted early intestinal inflammation development. Consistent with the reduced SETD2 expression in IBD patients, Setd2Vil-KO mice exhibited increased susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis, accompanied by more severe epithelial barrier disruption. Intestinal permeability was markedly increased in Setd2Vil-KO mice. Setd2 ablation drived inflammation-associated CRC. Deletion of Setd2 resulted in excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to cellular apoptosis and the defects in barrier integrity. N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) treatment in Setd2Vil-KO mice rescued epithelial barrier injury and apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of antioxidase PRDX6 in Setd2Vil-KO IECs largely alleviated the overproductions of ROS and improved the cellular survival. Deficiency of Setd2 specifically in the intestine aggravates epithelial barrier disruption and inflammatory response in colitis via a mechanism dependent on oxidative stress. More importantly, we show that Setd2 depletion results in excess ROS by directly down-regulating PRDX6, an antioxidant protein that inhibit excess ROS. Thus, our results highlight an epigenetic mechanism by which Setd2 mediates oxidative stress to modulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis.
Project description:Fumarate hydratase (FH) mutations predispose to renal cysts cancer. These cancers overexpress hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (Hif-1a). We have generated a conditional Fh1 (mouse FH) knockout mice that develop renal cysts and overexpress Hif-1a. In order to identify the contribution of Hif-1a to cyst formation we have intercrossed our mice with conditional HIf-1a KO mice.
Project description:In order to identify the key genes for self-renwal abiity of innate immune B-1a cells, we have gene expression analysis using Aglinant Whole Mouse gGenome Oligo Microarrays performed by Miltenyi Biottec. We isolated peritoneal B-1a cells from wild type mice and Bmi1 kockout (KO) mice that lost self-renewal ability of B-1a cells, and submitted purified RNA from each samples to Miltenyi.
Project description:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex and relapsing inflammatory disease, and patients with IBD exhibit a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Epithelial barrier disruption is one of the major causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which epigenetic modulations are pivotal elements. However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the epithelial barrier integrity regulation remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated how SETD2, a histone H3K36 trimethyltransferase, maintains intestinal epithelial homeostasis under inflammatory conditions. GEO public database and IBD tissues were used to investigate the clinical relevance of SetD2 in IBD. To define the role of SetD2 in the colitis, we generated mice with epithelial-specific deletion of Setd2 (Setd2Vil-KO mice). Acute colitis was induced by 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and colitis-associated CRC was induced by injecting azoxymethane (AOM), followed by three cycles of 2% DSS treatments. Colon tissues were collected from mice and analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry and immunoblots. Organoids were generated from Setd2Vil-KO and control mice, and were stained with 7-AAD to detect apoptosis. We isolated intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), performed RNA-seq and H3K36me3 ChIP-seq analysis to uncover the mechanism. Results were validated in functional rescue experiments by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) treatment and transgenes expression in IECs. SETD2 expression was decreased in IBD patients and DSS-treated colitis mice. Setd2Vil-KO mice had abnormal loss of mucosa-producing goblet cells and antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-producing Paneth cells, and promoted early intestinal inflammation development. Consistent with the reduced SETD2 expression in IBD patients, Setd2Vil-KO mice exhibited increased susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis, accompanied by more severe epithelial barrier disruption. Intestinal permeability was markedly increased in Setd2Vil-KO mice. Setd2 ablation drived inflammation-associated CRC. Deletion of Setd2 resulted in excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to cellular apoptosis and the defects in barrier integrity. N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) treatment in Setd2Vil-KO mice rescued epithelial barrier injury and apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of antioxidase PRDX6 in Setd2Vil-KO IECs largely alleviated the overproductions of ROS and improved the cellular survival. Deficiency of Setd2 specifically in the intestine aggravates epithelial barrier disruption and inflammatory response in colitis via a mechanism dependent on oxidative stress. More importantly, we show that Setd2 depletion results in excess ROS by directly down-regulating PRDX6, an antioxidant protein that inhibit excess ROS. Thus, our results highlight an epigenetic mechanism by which Setd2 mediates oxidative stress to modulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis.
Project description:Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). To understand how microbial-metabolic circuits contribute to intestinal tissue injury, we disrupt mitochondrial function in the intestinal epithelium by deleting heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60Δ/ΔIEC). While metabolic perturbation causes self-resolving tissue injury, regeneration is disrupted in the absence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Hsp60Δ/ΔIEC;AhR-/-) or IL-10 (Hsp60Δ/ΔIEC;Il10-/-) leading to IBD-like pathology. Tissue pathology is absent in the distal colon of germfree (GF) Hsp60Δ/ΔIEC mice, highlighting bacterial control of metabolic injury. Selective colonization of GF Hsp60Δ/ΔIEC mice with the synthetic community OMM12 confirms expansion of metabolically-flexible Bacteroides ssp., which generates metabolic injury in mono-colonized mice. Transcriptional profiling of metabolically-impaired epithelium identifies gene signatures, such as Ido1, Nos2, and Duox2, differentiating active from inactive tissue inflammation in 343 tissue sections from Crohn’s disease patients. In conclusion, mitochondrial perturbation of the epithelium causes microbiota-dependent tissue injury and discriminative inflammatory gene profiles with relevance for IBD.