Intestinal-epithelial LSD1 controls cytoskeletal-mediated cell identity including goblet cell effector responses required for gut inflammatory and infectious diseases

Infectious and inflammatory diseases in the intestine remain a serious threat for patients world-wide. Reprogramming of the intestinal epithelium towards a protective effector state is important to manage inflammation and immunity. The role of epigenetic regulatory enzymes within these processes is not yet defined. Here, we use a mouse model that has an intestinal-epithelial specific deletion of the histone demethylase Lsd1 (cKO mice), which maintains the epithelium in a fixed reparative state. Challenge of cKO mice with chemical-induced colitis, bacteria-induced colitis, and a helminth infection model all resulted in increased pathogenesis. Mechanistically, we discovered that LSD1 directly controls genes that facilitate cytoskeletal organization, and that this is relevant for epithelial attachment as well as for goblet-cell specific effector responses. This study therefore identifies intestinal-epithelial epigenetic regulation by LSD1 as a critical element in host protection from inflammation and infection.