Alkaline pH Increases Swimming Speed and Facilitates Mucus Penetration for Vibrio cholerae.

Intestinal mucus is the first line of defense against intestinal pathogens. It acts as a physical barrier between epithelial tissues and the lumen that enteropathogens must overcome to establish a successful infection. We investigated the motile behavior of two strains (El Tor C6706 and Classical O395) in mucus using single-cell tracking in unprocessed porcine intestinal mucus.