Paneth cell maturation is related to epigenetic modification during neonatal –weaning transition

In this study, we investigated the histological changes including epigenetic modification in the mouse ileum postnatally and assessed the effect of the methyltransferase inhibitor on epithelium development using an organoid culture. The morphological and functional maturation of Paneth cells occurred in the first 2 weeks and was accompanied by histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) trimethylation, although signifi cant differences in DNA methylation or other histone H3 trimethylation were not observed. Inhibition of H3K27 trimethylation in mouse ileal organoids suppressed crypt formation and Paneth cell maturation, until around P10. Overall, our findings show that post-transcriptional modification of histones , particularly H3K27 trimethylation, leads to the structural and functional maturation of Paneth cells during postnatal development.
Source: Histochemistry and Cell Biology - Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research