Transcription factor EB modulates the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species in intestinal epithelial cells to alleviate inflammatory bowel disease

Transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy regulator, is crucial for cellular homeostasis, and its abnormality is related to diverse inflammatory diseases. Genetic variations in autophagic genes are associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, little is known about the role and mechanism of TFEB in disease pathogenesis. In this study, we found that the genetic deletion of TFEB in mouse intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) caused intestinal barrier dysfunction, leading to increased susceptibility to experimental colitis. Mechanistically, TFEB functionally protected IEC in part through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (TFEB-PGC1α axis) induction, which consequently suppressed reactive oxygen species. TFEB can directly regulate PGC-1α transcription to control antioxidation level. Notably, TFEB expression is impaired and downregulated in the colon tissues of IBD patients. Collectively, our results indicate that intestinal TFEB participates in oxidative stress regulation and attenuates IBD progression.