A Special Protein in Your Gut Can Neutralize Bacteria

Researchers at MIT reported that the gut protein intelectin-2 both strengthens the mucus barrier and directly neutralizes bacteria.

Intelectin-2 binds galactose in mucus and on some bacterial surfaces, enabling it to crosslink mucus and trap microbes.

The protein can inhibit or kill bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains such as Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The team studied mouse tissue, human and mouse gut bacteria, and isolated human and mouse proteins to characterize these activities.