MUC5AC and inflammatory bowel disease: Additionally, the exploration of mucin-utilizing bacteria and the identification of the fldAIBC cluster shed light on a specific bacterial metabolic pathway involving indoleacrylic acid, linking it to protective effects in a colitis model and proposing a connection between a healthy mucus layer, anti-inflammatory metabolites, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Wlodarska et al., 2017).