The septin cytoskeleton is a regulator of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and mucosal inflammation.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal epithelial barrier integrity is essential for human health, and its disruption induces and exacerbates intestinal inflammatory disorders. While the epithelial cytoskeleton is critical for maintaining gut barrier-integrity, the role of septins - a family of GTP-binding, cytoskeletal proteins - is largely unknown. This highlights an important knowledge gap, as dysfunction of septins, and specifically septin 9 (SEPT9), is associated with intestinal pathologies. We determined that SEPT9 localizes to the apical junctions of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), overlapping with both tight and adherens junctions. IEC-specific ablation of SEPT9 in mice resulted in leaky gut, due to mislocalization of junctional proteins, and increased susceptibility to experimental colitis. Consistently,

SUBMITTER: Naydenov NG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12643519 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature