Mucus and Mucins: The Underappreciated Host Defence System

The mucosal surfaces that form the boundary between the external environment and the underlying tissue are protected by a mucus barrier. Mucin glycoproteins, both secreted and cell surface mucins, are the major components of the barrier. They can exclude pathogens and toxins while hosting the commen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2022-06, Vol.12, p.856962-856962
Main Authors: Sheng, Yong Hua, Hasnain, Sumaira Z.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
barrier integrity
Cellular and Infection Microbiology
microbes
mucins
mucosal epithelial cells
mucus
pathogen
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The mucosal surfaces that form the boundary between the external environment and the underlying tissue are protected by a mucus barrier. Mucin glycoproteins, both secreted and cell surface mucins, are the major components of the barrier. They can exclude pathogens and toxins while hosting the commensal bacteria. In this review, we highlight the dynamic function of the mucins and mucus during infection, how this mucosal barrier is regulated, and how pathogens have evolved mechanisms to evade this defence system.
ISSN:2235-2988
2235-2988
DOI:10.3389/fcimb.2022.856962