13 ASTROVIRUS ALTERS THE GUT MUCUS BARRIER AND REDUCES COLONIZATION TO ENTEROPATHOGENIC E. COLI

Abstract Goblet cells, specialized epithelial cells that produce mucus, are essential for gut health. Dysfunctional goblet cell secretion can weaken the mucus barrier, bringing commensal microbes and other lumenal contents in contact with the epithelial barrier, triggering inflammation. We recently discovered that murine astroviruses infect goblet cells in the small intestine, making it the first enteric virus in which this tropism has been recognized in vivo. To first determine whether astrovirus infection alters mucus production in goblet cells, we used periodic acid-Schiff staining of small intestinal tissues and found a thicker mucus layer in infected compared to mock-infected animals (1.85 to 2.51-fold, p