Dissecting the respective roles of microbiota and host genetics in the susceptibility of Card9-/- mice to colitis

Genes such as caspase recruitment domain member 9 (Card9) are important in human inflammatory bowel disease and in animal models for response to experimental colitis. Card9 has been implicated in both microbiota-independent and microbiota-dependent responses to dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) colitis but the relative contributions of both is not clear. This study aims to identify the relative contribution of genetics and microbiota to the severity of DSS colitis using the Card9-/- model.