About the Authors

Shengli Ding

shengli_ding@med.unc.edu

Affiliation Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Michael M. Chi

Affiliation Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Brooks P. Scull

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America

Rachael Rigby

Affiliation Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom

Nicole M. J. Schwerbrock

Affiliation Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Scott Magness

Affiliation Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Christian Jobin

Affiliation Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Pauline K. Lund

Affiliation Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SD RR PKL. Performed the experiments: SD MMC BPS RR. Analyzed the data: SD MMC. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SD MMC BPS RR NMJS SM CJ PKL. Wrote the paper: SD. Performed studies in the NF-κBEGFP reporter mouse, immunohistochemistry, did data analysis, initial interpretation and prepared the manuscript and figures: SD. Performed RNA extraction in intestinal tissue of CONV and GF mice and evaluated TNF-α by real time PCR: MMC. Participated in NF-κBEGFP studies and provided input on the data analysis and manuscript: MMC. Advised and participated in many aspects of the project including body weight, body composition, EGFP imaging, immunofluorescence and conventionalization of Germ-Free mice: BPC. Reviewed and offered editorial advice for this submitted version: BPC. Coordinated logistics of the project, including sterilization and specification of special diets, inserting apparatus and feeding into germ free isolators: RR. Participated in tissue harvesting: RR. Assisted in biochemical analysis of cytokine expression: NMJS. Provided intellectual input on the paper: NMJS CJ. Generated the NF-κBEGFP mouse and provided an intellectual contribution regarding the use of this model: SM. Contributed intellectually to the immunostaining and imaging experiments: SM. Characterized the NF-κBEGFP reporter as reliable readout of intestinal inflammation and developed and provided the germ-free NF-κBEGFP mice: CJ. Planned and supervised all experiments, data analysis and manuscript preparation: PKL.