RNA sequence analysis between ECM1- sufficient and -deficient peritoneal macrophage

We report the differential gene expression between ECM1- sufficient and -deficient peritoneal macrophage. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises chronic relapsing disorders of the gastrointestinal tract characterized pathologically by intestinal inflammation and epithelial injury. Here, we uncover a new function of extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) in promoting the pathogenesis of human and mouse IBD. ECM1 was highly expressed in macrophages, particularly tissue-infiltrated macrophages under inflammatory conditions, and ECM1 expression was significantly induced during IBD progression. The macrophage-specific knockout of ECM1 resulted in increased arginase 1 (ARG1) expression and impaired polarization into the M1 macrophage phenotype following LPS treatment.RNA-sequencing data indicated an alternative metabolic process and a higher arginine metabolic level in ECM1-deficient macrophages compared with ECM1-sufficient macrophages. A mechanistic study showed that ECM1 can negatively regulate M1 macrophage polarization through the GM-CSF/STAT5 signalling pathway. Pathological changes in mice with dextran sodium sulphate-induced IBD were alleviated by the specific knockout of the ECM1 gene in macrophages. Taken together, our findings show that ECM1 has an important function in promoting M1 macrophage polarization, which is critical for controlling inflammation and tissue repair in the intestine.