MUC13 mRNA expression is upregulated in the inflamed colon in individuals with IBD (Williams et al., 2001; Sheng et al., 2011) and a mutation in the MUC13 cytoplasmic tail was shown to be associated with the development of ulcerative colitis (Moehle et al., 2006; Franke et al., 2010). Here, MUC13 is linked to ulcerative colitis.