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. 2014 Dec 18;16(2):164–177. doi: 10.15252/embr.201439263

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Colonization of germ-free mice transmits the mucus phenotype
  1. Mucus thickness measured during 1 h on distal colon explants from mice colonized with flora from animals in Room 1 (Convd 1) or with flora from mice in Room 2 (Convd 2). Mucus not attached to the epithelium was removed after 60 min, and the attached mucus was measured (post). Data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 4–5).
  2. Penetrability of beads in mucus on explants from mice colonized with flora from Room 1 (Convd 1) or Room 2 (Convd 2) presented as impenetrable mucus (distance to 20 most penetrating beads). There was a significant difference between the two groups analysed by the Mann–Whitney U-test (n = 5, *P = 0.032). Data are presented as a boxplot with median and min–max whiskers
  3. Pictures of Z-stacks of beads (red 0.5 μm, purple 1 μm, green 2 μm) penetrating the mucus on colonic explants from Convd 1 or Convd 2 mice. The epithelium is stained by Calcein violet (blue). Double arrows indicate impenetrable mucus. Scale bar is 100 μm.
  4. Immunostaining of colon sections of Convd 1 or Convd 2 mice using Anti-MUC2C3 (green) and Hoechst (blue) staining DNA and visualizing bacteria in mucus (inserts). Double arrows mark the inner mucus layer that separates bacteria from the epithelium. Arrows at an angle point to bacteria in the inner mucus. Scale bars are 10 μm.

Source data are available online for this figure.