GSE208410
miR-181 regulates colonic inflammation
The intestinal epithelium is a key physical interface that integrates dietary and microbial signals to regulate nutrient uptake and mucosal homeostasis. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) have a high turnover rate driven by the death of terminally differentiated cells with concurrent stem cell proliferation, a process critical for maintaining intestinal homeostasis and protecting against mucosal inflammation. The transcriptional programs that regulate IEC quiescence, proliferation, and differentiation have been well-characterized. However, how gene expression networks critical for IEC functions are regulated at the post-transcriptional level during homeostasis or inflammatory disease remains poorly understood. Herein, we show that a conserved family of microRNAs, miR-181, is significantly downregulated in IECs from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and mice with chemical-induced colitis. Strikingly, we showed that miR-181 expression within IECs, but not the hematopoietic system, is required for protection against the development of severe colonic inflammation in response to epithelial injury in mice. Mechanistically, we showed that miR-181 expression increases the proliferative capacity of IECs, likely through the regulation of Wnt signaling, independently of gut microbiota composition. As epithelial reconstitution is crucial for restoring intestinal homeostasis after injury, the miR-181 family represents a potential novel therapeutic target in IECs for protection against severe intestinal inflammation. Overall design: Percoll-enriched colonic epithelial cells from baseline or DSS-treated WT and miR-181a1-b1; miR-181a2-b2 double KO mice