This study identifies a butyrate analog, 3-chlorobutyrate, that enhances epithelial barrier formation and is protective in colitis without affecting intestinal stem cells.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · Apr 9, 2026Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Mitochondrial ATP production promotes T cell differentiation and function by regulating chromatin accessibility

Charles Ng, Tak Shun Fung, Dayi Li, Korbinian Nepomuk Kropp, Luis F. Somarribas Patterson, Alexandria Markovitz, Daniel N. Weinberg, Olivia Jones, Ji-Young Kim, Guoan Zhang, Richard P. Koche, Mara Monetti, Huayuan Tang, Yun He, Zhengshuang Xu, , Craig B. Thompson

This study shows that mitochondrial ATP production, induced by D-α-hydroxybutyrate, promotes T cell differentiation and function by regulating chromatin accessibility and gene expression.

bioRxiv · Mar 28, 2026 · PreprintImmunology

Regulation of Epithelial HIF by Probiotic Escherichia coli

Alexander S. Dowdell, Rebecca L. Roer, Geetha Bhagavatula, Ian M. Cartwright, Rachel H. Cohen, Jacob A. Countess, Samuel D. Koch, J. Scott Lee, Calen A. Steiner, Noah T Thompson, Zachary F. Villamaria, Nichole M. Welch, Corey S. Worledge, Liheng Zhou, Sean P. Colgan

This study shows that probiotic E. coli stabilizes HIF in intestinal epithelial cells, promoting a pro-barrier transcriptional program through aerobic respiration, and induces tissue hypoxia in vivo.

bioRxiv · May 14, 2025 · PreprintCell Biology