Contact with stomach acid keeps the mucin lining the epithelial cell layer in a spongy gel-like state. This consistency is impermeable to the bacterium
Heliobacter pylori. However, the bacterium releases urease which neutralizes the stomach acid. This causes the mucin to liquefy, and the bacterium can swim right through it.
Full story at:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115409Praise:“Thanks, Zina! I'm really a fan of finding clear ways to communicate science, and this illustration is a great example. Thank you for your excellent work.”
--Randy H. Ewoldt Mechanical Engineering Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Also featured in:MedicineWorld.orghttp://medicineworld.org/stories/lead/8-2009/uncovering-the-secrets-of-ulcer-causing-bacteria.htmlScience Dailyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812163805.htm