Faecal microbiota composition in wild-type and plectin-deficient mice

Plectin provides tissues with mechanical stability through the integration of intermediate filaments (IFs) with cell junctions. Expression of plectin negatively correlated with inflammation in UC patients. Mice lacking plectin spontaneously developed colitis, increased intestinal permeability, ulceration and inflammatory lesions. Since gut microbial dysbiosis is a typical finding in UC patients, we compared composition of faecal microbiota in unchallenged and plectin-defficient mice at the age of 4, 12, and 20 weeks.