Intestinal Mucus and Their Glycans: A Habitat for Thriving Microbiota

Overview

Journal Cell Host Microbe

Publisher Cell Press

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2023 Jul 13

PMID 37442097

Authors

Ana S Luis

Gunnar C Hansson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The colon mucus layer is organized with an inner colon mucus layer that is impenetrable to bacteria and an outer mucus layer that is expanded to allow microbiota colonization. A major component of mucus is MUC2, a glycoprotein that is extensively decorated, especially with O-glycans. In the intestine, goblet cells are specialized in controlling glycosylation and making mucus. Some microbiota members are known to encode multiple proteins that are predicted to bind and/or cleave mucin glycans. The interactions between commensal microbiota and host mucins drive intestinal colonization, while at the same time, the microbiota can utilize the glycans on mucins and affect the colonic mucus properties. This review will examine this interaction between commensal microbes and intestinal mucins and discuss how this interplay affects health and disease.

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