Microbiota-derived metabolites, short chain-fatty acids, induce epigenetic modifications in CD4+ T cells in mice

Resumo

The gut microbiota is indispensable for the host, considering its role in regulating key aspects of host homeostasis, such as development, function and induction of T cells. One of the possibilities for microbiota-host interaction is through short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). compounds produced by fermentation of dietary fiber of intestinal lumen bacteria. These compounds can regulate gene expression, by promoting inhibition of histone deacetylase enzimes (HDACs) and activation of histone acetyltransferases enzimes (HATs), thus increasing post-translational modifications such as acetylation and crotonylation. However, details of how these two types of modifications act on host cells, especially regulatory T cells, remains to be seen. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the SCFA mediated role of microbiota on acetylation and crotonylation of regulatory T cells, as to verify how these two modifications can interact in the histone modification scenario. In conclusion, acetylation and crotonylation, linked to microbiota, have the potential to form an importante part in regulation of T CD4+ cells and can interact and modify directly the action of HDAC enzimes, which is notably relevant to microbiota-host interface.