Colonic Mucosal Epigenome and Microbiome Development in Children and Adolescents

Figure 2

Epigenetic interactions with age, the microbiome, and ulcerative colitis (UC) at SLC9A3. Average methylation at 6 CpG sites within and surrounding the CpG island near the 3′ end of the gene significantly decreased with age (a). DNA methylation at this DMR significantly (Pearson ) correlated with decreasing abundances of Bacteroides and Parabacteroides and increased abundance of Blautia (b). Methylation at the 3′ end DMR was significantly increased in UC patients, while it was decreased in 2 distinct upstream intragenic CpG sites (c), arguing for UC specific epigenetic rearrangement at SLC9A3, which is predicted to associate with decreased expression of the gene.