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Science 334 (6053): 182-183

Copyright © 2011 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Keeping Bacteria at a Distance

Malin E.V. Johansson, and Gunnar C. Hansson

Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.


Figure 1
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  		Intestinal protection. The intestinal epithelium is covered by mucus. In the colon, the inner stratified mucus layer acts as a physical barrier separating bacteria from the epithelium. The commensal bacteria are kept at a distance in the penetrable outer mucus layer. The small intestine is only covered with penetrable mucus, where antibacterial molecules such as RegIII{gamma} generate a bacteria-depleted region close to the epithelium.

CREDIT: B. STRAUCH/SCIENCE

 

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