HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Physiol. Genomics 27: 141-155, 2006. First published July 25, 2006; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00314.2005
1094-8341/06 $8.00

This Article Free upon publication Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary Tables All Versions of this Article: 27/2/141    most recent 00314.2005v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stegmann, A. Articles by Olsen, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stegmann, A. Articles by Olsen, J.

Metabolome, transcriptome, and bioinformatic cis-element analyses point to HNF-4 as a central regulator of gene expression during enterocyte differentiation

¹ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
² Biological Chemistry, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
³ The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
⁴ Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U682, University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

DNA-binding transcription factors bind to promoters that carry their binding sites. Transcription factors therefore function as nodes in gene regulatory networks. In the present work we used a bioinformatic approach to search for transcription factors that might function as nodes in gene regulatory networks during the differentiation of the small intestinal epithelial cell. In addition we have searched for connections between transcription factors and the villus metabolome. Transcriptome data were generated from mouse small intestinal villus, crypt, and fetal intestinal epithelial cells. Metabolome data were generated from crypt and villus cells. Our results show that genes that are upregulated during fetal to adult and crypt to villus differentiation have an overrepresentation of potential hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-4 binding sites in their promoters. Moreover, metabolome analyses by magic angle spinning ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the villus epithelial cells contain higher concentrations of lipid carbon chains than the crypt cells. These findings suggest a model where the HNF-4 transcription factor influences the villus metabolome by regulating genes that are involved in lipid metabolism. Our approach also identifies transcription factors of importance for crypt functions such as DNA replication (E2F) and stem cell maintenance (c-Myc).

crypt-villus axis; intestine; gene regulation; hepatocyte nuclear factor-4