Trimethylation of histone H3K4 is associated with the induction of fructose-inducible genes in rat jejunum.

We previously reported that fructose force-feeding rapidly induces jejunal Slc2a5 gene expression in rats. In this study, we conducted microarray analyses using total RNA to identify genes upregulated in rat jejunum by fructose force-feeding. Rats were force-fed fructose, glucose or distilled water for 6h. Genes such as Slc2a5, Cdkn1c, Cabp2, Ranbp3, Vwce and Gcgr were induced by force-feeding with fructose compared with glucose or distilled water. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that trimethylation of histone H3K4, and acetylation of histones H3 and H4, on the transcribed region of these fructose-inducible genes were enhanced by force-feeding of fructose, but not glucose or distilled water. These results suggest that the induction of genes in the rat jejunum by fructose force-feeding is coordinately regulated by histone modifications, particularly trimethylation of histone H3K4.