Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Van Tassell ML
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3257693 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Mucus provides protective functions in the gastrointestinal tract and plays an important role in the adhesion of microorganisms to host surfaces. Mucin glycoproteins polymerize, forming a framework to which certain microbial populations can adhere, including probiotic Lactobacillus species. Numerous mechanisms for adhesion to mucus have been discovered in lactobacilli, including partially characterized mucus binding proteins. These mechanisms vary in importance with the in vitro models studied, ...[more]