We normally live in symbiosis with ϳ10 13 bacteria present in the colon. Among the several mechanisms maintaining the bacteria/host balance, there is limited understanding of the structure, function, and properties of intestinal mucus. We now demonstrate that the mouse colonic mucus consists of two layers extending 150 m above the epithelial cells. Proteomics revealed that both of these layers have similar protein composition, with the large gel-forming mucin Muc2 as the major structural component. The inner layer is densely packed, firmly attached to the epithelium, and devoid of bacteria. In contrast, the outer layer is movable, has an expanded volume due to proteolytic cleavages of the Muc2 mucin, and is colonized by bacteria. Muc2 ؊/؊ mice have bacteria in direct contact with the epithelial cells and far down in the crypts, explaining the inflammation and cancer development observed in these animals. These findings show that the Muc2 mucin can build a mucus barrier that separates bacteria from the colon epithelia and suggest that defects in this mucus can cause colon inflammation.commensal bacteria ͉ proteomics ͉ ulcerative colitis ͉ large intestine ͉ colon cancer

Divergent results from in vitro studies on the thickness and appearance of the gastrointestinal mucus layer have previously been reported. With an in vivo model, we studied mucus gel thickness over time from stomach to colon. The gastrointestinal tissues of Inactin-anesthetized rats were mounted luminal side up for intravital microscopy. Mucus thickness was measured with a micropipette before and after mucus removal by suction. The mucus layer was translucent and continuous; it was thickest in the colon (approximately 830 microm) and thinnest in the jejunum (approximately 123 microm). On mucus removal, a continuous, firmly adherent mucus layer remained attached to the epithelial surface in the corpus (approximately 80 microm), antrum (approximately 154 microm), and colon (approximately 116 microm). In the small intestine, this layer was very thin (approximately 20 microm) or absent. After mucus removal, there was a continuous increase in mucus thickness with the highest rate in the colon and the lowest rate in the stomach. In conclusion, the adherent gastrointestinal mucus gel in vivo is continuous and can be divided into two layers: a loosely adherent layer removable by suction and a layer firmly attached to the mucosa.

Mapping the conditions of spider silk proteins along the silk gland, and combining with molecular studies, reveals a pH controlled switch between lock and trigger forms, providing insights into spider silk formation.

The colonic mucus layer serves as an important barrier and prevents colonic bacteria from invading the mucosa and cause inflammation. The regulation of colonic mucus secretion is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the mucus barrier in induction of colitis. Furthermore, regulation of mucus secretion by luminal bacterial products was studied. The colon of anesthetized Muc2(-/-), Muc1(-/-), wild-type (wt), and germ-free mice was exteriorized, the mucosal surface was visualized, and mucus thickness was measured with micropipettes. Colitis was induced by DSS (dextran sodium sulfate, 3%, in drinking water), and disease activity index (DAI) was assessed daily. The colonic mucosa of germ-free and conventionally housed mice was exposed to the bacterial products LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and PGN (peptidoglycan). After DSS induction of colitis, the thickness of the firmly adherent mucus layer was significantly thinner after 5 days and onward, which paralleled the increment of DAI. Muc2(-/-) mice, which lacked firmly adherent mucus, were predisposed to colitis, whereas Muc1(-/-) mice were protected with significantly lower DAI by DSS compared with wt mice. The mucus barrier increased in Muc1(-/-) mice in response to DSS, whereas significantly fewer T cells were recruited to the inflamed colon. Mice housed under germ-free conditions had an extremely thin adherent colonic mucus layer, but when exposed to bacterial products (PGN or LPS) the thickness of the adherent mucus layer was quickly restored to levels observed in conventionally housed mice. This study demonstrates a correlation between decreasing mucus barrier and increasing clinical symptoms during onset of colitis. Mice lacking colonic mucus (Muc2(-/-)) were hypersensitive to DSS-induced colitis, whereas Muc1(-/-) were protected, probably through the ability to increase the mucus barrier but also by decreased T cell recruitment to the afflicted site. Furthermore, the ability of bacteria to regulate the thickness of the colonic mucus was demonstrated.

Inorganic nitrite (NO(2)(-)) is emerging as a regulator of physiological functions and tissue responses to ischemia, whereas the more stable nitrate anion (NO(3)(-)) is generally considered to be biologically inert. Bacteria express nitrate reductases that produce nitrite, but mammals lack these specific enzymes. Here we report on nitrate reductase activity in rodent and human tissues that results in formation of nitrite and nitric oxide (NO) and is attenuated by the xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor allopurinol. Nitrate administration to normoxic rats resulted in elevated levels of circulating nitrite that were again attenuated by allopurinol. Similar effects of nitrate were seen in endothelial NO synthase-deficient and germ-free mice, thereby excluding vascular NO synthase activation and bacteria as the source of nitrite. Nitrate pretreatment attenuated the increase in systemic blood pressure caused by NO synthase inhibition and enhanced blood flow during post-ischemic reperfusion. Our findings suggest a role for mammalian nitrate reduction in regulation of nitrite and NO homeostasis.