CDHR5 in intestinal homeostasis

The protocadherin CDHR5 crosslinks microvilli in the brush border of intestinal epithelial cells. We created a CDHR5 knock-out mouse and characterized the brush border and the susceptibility to colitis. CDHR5 knock-out mice showed a severe disarrangement and shortening of microvilli. We hypothesized that this phenotype affects the composition of the microbiome in the intestine. Therefore, we compared the microbiome of CDHR5-proficient and deficient mice, either being healthy or suffering from DSS-induced colitis. Sequencing was performed at the Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna under the project ID JMF-2112-06.