Transcriptome of Foxa1/Foxa2-deficient colon [RNA]

FOXA1 and FOXA2 are essentail transcription factors for proper gut development. In adults, they have a role in the differentiation of intestinal secretory cell lineages and were also reporeted to directly activate Muc2 transcription. Here we show that deletion of Foxa1 and Foxa2 in mouse intestinal epithelium leads to a downregulation of glycosylation genes in the colon and to a massive change of the colonic surface glycans. In turn, the microbiome composition shifts dramatically and spontaneous inflammatory bowel disease ensued. We conclude that vertebrates shape a favorable microbiome by establishing a glycocalyx to nurture specific bacterial taxa through control of the epithelial glycosylation program by the FoxA transcription factors.