Reg4 and complement factor D prevent the overgrowth of E. coli in the mouse gut
Authors: Xiaomin Su
Hua Zhu
Rongcun Yang
Houbao Qi
Yuanyuan Li
Yuan Zhang
Jianmei Wei
Yazheng Yang
Lei Su
Yunhuan Gao
Journal: Communications Biology (2020)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Enterobacteriaceae; E. coli; gut inflammation; human diseases; gut complement factor D (CFD)
Affiliations: State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China., Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China., Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine; Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China., Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Ministry of Health, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Comparative Medical Center, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), 100021, Beijing, China., State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. ., Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. ., Department of Immunology, Nankai University School of Medicine; Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. .

Abstract:  The expansion of Enterobacteriaceae, such as E. coli is a main characteristic of gut inflammation and is related to multiple human diseases. However, how to control these E. coli overgrowth is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that gut complement factor D (CFD) plays an important role in eliminating E. coli. Increased E. coli, which could stimulate inflammatory macrophages to induce colitis, were found in the gut of CFD deficient mice. We also showed that gut Reg4, which is expressed in gut epithelial cells, stimulated complement-mediated attack complexes to eliminate E. coli. Reg4 deficient mice also had increased E. coli. The dominant E. coli were isolated from colitis tissues of mice and found to be sensitive to both CFD- and Reg4-mediated attack complexes. Thus, gut Reg4- and CFD-mediated membrane attack complexes may maintain gut homeostasis by killing inflammatory E. coli. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Quite unexpected similar dispersion of variance here (fig 1 pane h ): ![file] , 
 Also concerns with the panel **i** and **j** of the figure 1: ![file] , 
 Also figure 2 panel F: ![file] , 
 I may be utterly wrong here but I believe we source values for WT and CFD KO are exactly same on figure 2 panel f: ![file] , 
 Another one - fig 4 - a: ![file] , 
 Also panel i figure 4: ![file] , 
 Variance in WT is similar across panels A and B panels on figure 7. Looks as if one value was changed but others left the same: ![file] , 
 This is RAW data for ![file] Figure 2f , 
 We have already checked RAW data for other Figures. There are no problem. If you need these raw data, We can sent to you. , 
 Followings are answer to you questions. ![file] ![file] ![file] ![file] , 
 ![file] ![file] ![file] , 
 All due respect, dr. Rongcun Yang, but could you clarify the term  RAW you are using? Can you or your colleagues show the readouts obtained from the qPCR for figure 2 panel F or figure 2 panel F which would correspond to your  RAW data? , 
 We try do this, but student has already graduated, this data have done several years ago. , 
 https: www.nature.com nature-research editorial-policies reporting-standards#availability-of-data ,