Helicobacter pylori interactions with human gastric mucin studied with a resonant mirror biosensor

Helicobacter pylori, a human pathogen colonizing the gastrointestinal tract, is first interacting with mucus glycoproteins to penetrate the gastric mucus layer and then attach to specific epithelial cell targets. An optical biosensor technique based on the resonant mirror was used to study H. pylori interactions with human gastric mucin. The mucin preparation was immobilized on the sensor surface to set up the experimental model, close to the in vivo situation. Both sialylated and sulphated oligosaccharides interfered with the H. pylori binding to the immobilized mucin by reducing or abolishing the binding of the bacteria. Furthermore, the displacement of the bacteria from immobilized mucin by highly sulphated glycosaminoglycans was observed.