Malat1 regulates intestinal epithelial cell function

The long-non-coding RNA Malat1 is abundantly expressed in all subsets of the intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Here, we compared the transcriptome of the small intestinal and colonic epithelium of wildtype and Malat1-/- mice under steady state. We found that Malat1 is involved in IEC homeostasis, intestinal microbial balance, and regulates programs involved in intestinal cancer. Two intestine tissues from each genotype were obtained from 9-11 week old cohoused littermate. Results of epithelium from Malat1-deficient (Malat1-/-) mice were compared to those from their gender-matched controls (Malat1+/+ or Malat1+/-).