can metabolize simple sugars from host cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids at sites of infection, and possess proteases that can attack the host extracellular matrix, degrade mucin, and cleave E-cadherin of intestinal epithelium tight junctions.63 Importantly, the inclusion of commensal, putative protective genera in our model increased its accuracy, suggesting AL may reflect community-level processes including a breakdown in competitive exclusion that is permissive of tissue degradation. Here, MUC5AC is linked to infection.