Microbial, metabolomic, and immunologic dynamics in a relapsing genetic mouse model of colitis induced by T-synthase deficiency. mouse gut metagenome

Intestinal dysbiosis is thought to confer susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but it is unknown whether dynamic changes in the microbiome contribute to fluctuations in IBD disease activity. We explored this question using mice deficient in T-synthase (C1GALT1), in which spontaneous microbiota-dependent colitis with a remitting/relapsing course develops due to loss of mucin core-1 derived O-glycans. Mice with intestine-specific deletion of T-synthase (Tsyn, C1GALT1) and negative control littermates were sacrificed at weeks 3 (onset), 5 (remission), and 9 (relapse). 16S rRNA sequencing was performed of mucosal and luminal samples from the distal colon, proximal colon, cecum, and ileum.