The transferrin receptor is required for intestinal epithelial homeostasis

The role of Tfr1 in non-erythroid tissues remains elusive due to the embryonic lethality of the Tfr1 global knockout mouse model. To bypass this problem, we generated a mouse model in which Tfr1 was conditionally deleted in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). These mice developed severe IEC disruption, characterized by blunted villi, edema, loss of proliferative intervillus IECs, accumulation of lipids, and early neonatal lethality. Strikingly, a wide range of genes associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition were highly upregulated in IEC lacking Tfr1. Additionally, candidate vesicular transport and sorting genes implicated in lipid absorption and trafficking were downregulated. Surprisingly, the presence of a mutant allele of Tfr1, which is unable to bind to iron-loaded transferrin, was capable of rescuing the lethality, intestinal epithelial homeostasis, and proliferation in a majority of the Tfr1 conditional knockout mice.

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Chen AC, Donovan A, Ned-Sykes R, Andrews NC