Slug and Snail have differential effects in directing colonic epithelial wound healing and partially mediate the restitutive effects of butyrate

摘要

Targeted transcriptional analysis demonstrated differential expression of several tight junction genes, as well as focal adhesion genes. This included altered regulation of Annexin A2 and ITGB1 to Slug-KD, which was reflected in confocal microscopy, showing increased accumulation of Bl-integrin protein in Slug-KD cells, which was previously shown to impair wound healing. Transcriptional analysis also indicated altered expression of genes associated with epithelial terminal differentiation, such that Slug-KD cells skewed toward overexpression of secretory cell pathway-associated genes. This included trefoil factors TFF1 and TFF3, which were expressed at lower than control levels in Snail-KD cells. Since TFFs can enhance the barrier in epithelial cells, this points to a potential mechanism of differential modulation by Snail genes. Although Snail genes are crucial in epithelial wound restitution, butyrate responses are mediated by other pathways as well.