In the absence of infection, IFN-γR-/- and wt control mice displayed no signs of mucosal pathology, equivalent numbers of mucus filled goblet cells and equivalent mRNA levels for muc2, the gene encoding the key secreted goblet cell mucin (p≥0.05; Fig. 2C,D,F,H; 0 dpi). This evidence concerns the gene MUC2 and infection.