Stool-derived 16s rRNA V4 sequencing from inducible intestinal-epithelium-LSD1-cKO mice (Villin-CreERT2+ Lsd1fl/fl (icKO)) against WT (Villin-CreERT2+ Lsd1fl/+ (icKO)) controls (before and 1-6 weeks after tamoxifen treatment)
Upon tamoxifen induced recombination, Villin-CreERT2+ Lsd1fl/fl (icKO) mice develop an immature intestinal epithelium characterized by an incomplete differentiation of enterocytes and secretory lineages, reduced number of goblet cells and a complete loss of Paneth cells. The main goal of this experiment was to test whether maturation of intestinal epithelium affects microbiota establishment and development. In addition, this loss of differentiated cell types after Lsd1 recombination is gradual and dependent on renewal times of each specific cell type (i.e. enterocytes take less than a week to be fully replenished while Paneth cells cycle around every 4 weeks). Hence by collecting stool from the same mouse at different time points after tamoxifen induced recombination a relationship between loss of particular cell types and changes in bacterial populations can be established. In addition, we wanted to test whether maturation of intestinal epithelium affects microbiota establishment and development