Altered epigenetic programming links intestinal inflammation to colon cancer (RNA-seq)

This study uses whole-transcriptome sequencing to characterize the transcriptomes of the AOM/DSS mouse model. In this model, mice are treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce colitis. When this treatment is preceded by injections of the weak carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM) the mice develop intestinal tumors. Our results identify sets of differentially expressed genes which are correlated with methylation changes of the corresponding genes. Overall design: Whole transcriptome analysis of Mus musculus. Three conditions were sequenced and analyzed, the first is an untreated control, the second corresponds to inflammation induced by applying DSS, the third to cancer induced by inflammation and application of AOM. The control condition as well as the AOM-induced cancer condition were analyzed using three replicates, the second condition using 4 replicates.