Gata4 is critical to maintain gut barrier function and mucosal integrity following epithelial injury.

ABSTRACT: The intestinal epithelial barrier is critical to limit potential harmful consequences from exposure to deleterious luminal contents on the organism. Although this barrier is functionally important along the entire gut, specific regional regulatory mechanisms involved in the maintenance of this barrier are poorly defined. Herein, we identified Gata4 as a crucial regulator of barrier integrity in the mouse proximal intestinal epithelium. Conditional deletion of Gata4 in the intestine led to a drastic increase in claudin-2 expression that was associated with an important increase of gut barrier permeability without causing overt spontaneous inflammation. Administration of indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that causes enteritis, led to rapid and restricted proximal s

SUBMITTER: Lepage D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5101531 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature