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Although commensalism with gut microbiota exists in all metazoans,the host factors that maintain this homeostatic relationshipremain largely unknown. We show that the intestinal homeoboxgene Caudal regulates the commensal-gut mutualism by repressingnuclear factor kappa B–dependent antimicrobial peptidegenes. Inhibition of Caudal expression in flies via RNA interferenceled to overexpression of antimicrobial peptides, which in turnaltered the commensal population within the intestine. In particular,the dominance of one gut microbe, Gluconobacter sp. strain EW707,eventually led to gut cell apoptosis and host mortality. However,restoration of a healthy microbiota community and normal hostsurvival in the Caudal-RNAi flies was achieved by reintroductionof the Caudal gene. These results reveal that a specific geneticdeficiency within a host can profoundly influence the gut commensalmicrobial community and host physiology.
1 Division of Molecular Life Science, Ewha Woman's University and National Creative Research Initiative Center for Symbiosystem, Seoul 120-750, South Korea. 2 Laboratoire de BBMI, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75724, France. 3 Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, South Korea. 4 School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea. 5 Brain Korea 21 Program, Yonsei University College of Medicine, CPO Box 8044, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lwj{at}ewha.ac.kr
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