BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Mucking In

Harmful bacteria enter gut cells via protein interactions – clues for blocking infection

01 April 2019

Mucking In

Lining the inside of our guts, intestinal epithelial cells are exposed to any pathogens we might ingest. A layer of protective mucus, made up of proteins and antibodies, shields them from attack, yet the common food borne bacterium Salmonella enterica can still find a way through. Transmembrane mucins, proteins that lie across the membrane of epithelial cells, create an important barrier, but one of these, MUC1, can be hijacked by Salmonella. Recent research found that cells possessing MUC1 (pictured, with nuclei in blue, MUC1 in green), are much more vulnerable to invasion by Salmonella (in red) than cells without. Salmonella gains entry into epithelial cells thanks to the interaction between MUC1 and one of its own adhesins, surface proteins used by bacteria to attach themselves to potential hosts. Without this protein, named SiiE, Salmonella cannot invade cells through this route, suggesting that treatments targeting SiiE could block this pathway for infection.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.