Transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in the Winnie mouse model of chronic colitis

Abstract

The Winnie mouse, carrying a missense mutation in the Muc2 gene, is a model for chronic colitis closely resembling the pathological changes of human IBD. Herein, transcriptomic analyses of the differentially expressed genes in the distal colon of Winnie mice with mild colitis and Winnie-Prolapse mice with severe colitis are compared to control C57BL/6 mice. Gene ontology analysis and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated the upregulation of genes in immune and inflammation-related pathways, metabolic pathways, cancer-related pathways, and neurological processes. Further research into these pathways and individual genes may lead to the identification of new targets for the treatment of IBD. The overexpression of oncogenes, in particular, may serve as an indicator of inflammation progressing to cancer.