Muc1 limits Helicobacter felis binding to gastric epithelial cells but does not limit colonization and gastric pathology following infection.
BACKGROUND
The mucin Muc1 is constitutively expressed by the gastric mucosa and is likely the first point of direct contact between the host stomach and the adherent pathogens. The expression of Muc1 has been shown to limit colonization of mice by Helicobacter pylori, known to adhere to the gastric epithelium, as well as associated pathology. However, the potential role of this mucin against nonadherent Helicobacter has not been previously studied. We therefore examined the importance of Muc1 on the pathogenesis of Helicobacter felis, believed not to adhere to the murine mucosa.


RESULTS
Using primary cell cultures, we found that H. felis can bind gastric epithelial cells in vitro, and adherence to epithelial cells deficient in Muc1 was increased compared to controls that expressed the mucin. However, following infection of deficient mice, we found that Muc1 did not impact on H. felis colonization or pathogenesis in vivo, in contrast to previous observations with H. pylori.


CONCLUSIONS
This demonstrates a variable effect of Muc1 on protection against closely related adherent and nonadherent Helicobacter species, and supports a key role for Muc1 in limiting attachment of adherent bacteria to the gastric mucosal surface.
Every
Alison L
AL
Centre for Animal Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Chionh
Yok-Teng
YT
Skene
Caroline D
CD
McGuckin
Michael A
MA
Sutton
Philip
P
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D044922:Helicobacter felis / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000276:immunology*
D018396:Mucin-1