Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Three-dimensional Quantification of Intestinal Mucus Using Whole-mount Tissue Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2025
The composition of the gut microbiota shapes the colon mucus barrier
Hedvig E Jakobsson1, Ana M Rodríguez-Piñeiro1, André Schütte1
1Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Abstract:
Two C57BL/6 mice colonies maintained in two rooms of the same specific pathogen-free (SPF) facility were found to have different gut microbiota and a mucus phenotype that was specific for each colony. The thickness and growth of the colon mucus were similar in the two colonies. However, one colony had mucus that was impenetrable to bacteria or beads the size of bacteria-which is comparable to what we observed in free-living wild mice-whereas the other colony had an inner mucus layer penetrable to bacteria and beads. The different properties of the mucus depended on the microbiota, as they were transmissible by transfer of caecal microbiota to germ-free mice. Mice with an impenetrable mucus layer had increased amounts of Erysipelotrichi, whereas mice with a penetrable mucus layer had higher levels of Proteobacteria and TM7 bacteria in the distal colon mucus. Thus, our study shows that bacteria and their community structure affect mucus barrier properties in ways that can have implications for health and disease. It also highlights that genetically identical animals housed in the same facility can have rather distinct microbiotas and barrier structures.
Insights
Genetically identical mice in the same facility developed distinct gut microbiotas and colon mucus barrier properties. Microbiota composition directly influences mucus penetrability, impacting health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host health.
- Mucus barrier function is essential for intestinal homeostasis.
- Variability in microbiota within controlled environments is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of distinct gut microbiota on colon mucus barrier properties in genetically identical mice.
- To determine if microbiota composition influences mucus penetrability.
- To explore the implications for host health and disease.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of gut microbiota and colon mucus phenotypes in two C57BL/6 mice colonies.
- Assessment of mucus barrier properties (penetrability to bacteria/beads).
- Fecal microbiota transplantation to germ-free mice to confirm transmissibility.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in gut microbiota composition and mucus barrier properties were observed between the two colonies.
- One colony exhibited an impenetrable mucus layer, while the other had a penetrable inner mucus layer.
- Microbiota transplantation confirmed that distinct bacterial communities (Erysipelotrichi, Proteobacteria, TM7) dictated mucus penetrability.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial community structure profoundly affects colon mucus barrier properties.
- Distinct microbiotas can lead to divergent mucus phenotypes even in genetically identical animals within the same facility.
- These findings have significant implications for understanding host-microbe interactions in health and disease.
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