European researchers have published a complete systematic analysis of how the microbe Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) feeds on sugars locked away in mucus secreted in the digestive system. As the microbe protects the gut barrier from harmful pathogens, it is included in biotics to support gut health. The study focused on 66 enzymes that AM uses to break down O-glycans (sugars), which comprise around 80% of gel-forming secreted mucins or glycoproteins in the mucus lining the human large intestine. This layer is a barrier between host cells and microorganisms in the colon.
