The human gastrointestinal tract is composed of a variety of epithelial cells, immune cells and tissues that are covered by a mucus layer. We additionally discuss how these phage-mucus interactions may influence health and disease states. In this review, we discuss the role of bacteriophages in influencing mucosal integrity, indirectly via interactions with other members of the gut microbiota, or directly with the gut mucus via phage-encoded carbohydrate-interacting proteins. The viral members of the gut – mostly composed of bacteriophages – have also been shown to have mucus-interacting capabilities, but their mechanisms and effects remain largely unexplored. By doing so, they can influence the integrity of the mucus barrier and therefore promote either health maintenance or the onset and progression of some diseases. Many gut bacteria have evolved to reside within the mucus layer and thus encode mucus-adhering and -degrading proteins. The mucus lining of the gut is primarily composed of mucins, large glycosylated proteins with glycosylation patterns that vary depending on factors including location in the digestive tract and the local microbial population. These include digestion aid, maintenance of the mucosal barrier, immune regulation, and production of vitamins, hormones, and other metabolites that are important for our health. In the human gastrointestinal tract, the gut mucosa and the bacterial component of the microbiota interact and modulate each other to accomplish a variety of critical functions.
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