CDH1 and colitis: Compromised intestinal barrier function has been associated with a number of disease states, both intestinal and systemic.128 Oral administration of the bacterial serine protease SP-1, produced by Clostridium spp resulted in impaired epithelial barrier, altered microbiota community compostion, and exacerbated DSS-induced colitis.129 Host proteases such as chymase or ELA2A are able to cleave tight and adherens junction proteins including zonula occludens-1 or E-cadherin.22,29,130 Microbial proteases also cleave inter-enterocyte junctions.