Genes controlling the activation of natural killer lymphocytes are epigenetically remodeled in intestinal cells from germ-free mice.

ABSTRACT: Remodeling of the gut microbiota is implicated in various metabolic and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. We hypothesized that the gut microbiota affects the DNA methylation profile of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) which could, in turn, alter intestinal function. In this study, we used mass spectrometry and methylated DNA capture to respectively investigate global and genome-wide DNA methylation of intestinal epithelial cells from germ-free (GF) and conventionally raised mice. In colonic IECs from GF mice, DNA was markedly hypermethylated. This was associated with a dramatic loss of ten-eleven-translocation activity, a lower DNA methyltransferase activity and lower circulating levels of the 1-carbon metabolite, folate. At the gene level, we found an enrichment for d

SUBMITTER: Poupeau A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6338647 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature