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Comment
. 2020 Jul 16;11(7):808.
doi: 10.3390/genes11070808.

Intestinal Microbiota Influences DNA Methylome and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer

Aïcha Zouggar  1 , Joshua R Haebe  1 , Yannick D Benoit  1
Affiliations
Comment

Intestinal Microbiota Influences DNA Methylome and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer

Aïcha Zouggar et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

In a recent publication, Ansari et al. identified gut microbiota as a critical mediator of the intestinal inflammatory response through epigenetic programming of host intestinal epithelium. Exposure to the microbiota induces Ten-Eleven-Translocation (TET)-dependent hypomethylation of genomic elements regulating genes associated with inflammatory response and colorectal cancer. Here, we discuss the impact of such a discovery on the understanding of how the intestinal microbiota may contribute to epigenetic reprogramming and influence the onset of colorectal tumorigenesis. Finally, we examine the prospect of TET inhibition strategies as a therapeutic and/or preventive approach for colorectal cancer in patients afflicted by inflammatory bowel disease.

Keywords: DNA methylation; LINE1; TET3; colorectal cancer; epigenetics; microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The intestinal microbiota influences DNA methylome and susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). Relationship between the intestinal microbiota and active demethylation machinery in the context of bowel inflammation. Microbiota-induced Ten-Eleven-Translocation 3 (TET3) expression is reorganizing the epigenetic landscape of lamina-associated domains (LADs) in colonocytes, leading to transcriptional changes characteristic of CRC. Image created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

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