Regulation of Gene Expression through Gut Microbiota-Dependent DNA Methylation in Colonic Epithelial Cells

A huge number of commensal bacteria inhabit the intestine, which is equipped with the largest immune system in the body. Recently, the regulation of various physiological functions of the host by these bacteria has attracted attention. In this study, the effects of commensal bacteria on gene expression in colonic epithelial cells (CoECs) were investigated with focus on regulation of DNA methylation. RNA sequencing analyses of CoECs from conventional, germ-free, and MyD88^-/- mice indicated that, out of the genes affected by commensal bacteria, those downregulated in a MyD88-independent manner were most frequently observed. Furthermore, when the 5' regions of genes downregulated by commensal bacteria in CoECs were captured using a customized array and immunoprecipitated with the anti-methyl cytosine Ab, a certain population of these genes was found to be highly methylated. Comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation in the 5' regions of genes in CoECs from conventional and germ-free mice upon pull-down assay with methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 directly demonstrated that DNA methylation in these regions was influenced by commensal bacteria. Actually, commensal bacteria were shown to control expression of Aldh1a1, which encodes a retinoic acid-producing enzyme and plays an important role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis via DNA methylation in the overlapping 5' region of Tmem267 and 3110070M22Rik genes in CoECs. Collectively, it can be concluded that regulation of DNA methylation in the 5' regions of a specific population of genes in CoECs acts as a mechanism by which commensal bacteria have physiological effects on the host.