Geometrically constrained growth factor concentration favors enrichment of goblet cells and mucus formation

The colonic mucus composed of replenished gel-forming mucin secreted from goblet cells is of great importance for overall human health, and its better understanding could lead to the development of new drug targets in colon diseases and mucus defect therapies. In this dataset, we show the effect of the constrained geometry for WRN diffusion, on goblet cell differentiation and mucus formation. This advanced engineering approach focused on long-term culture to form a mucus layer barrier. The platform is an insert format with rehydrated collagen overlaying an impermeable film patterned with a geometrical array of micron-scale holes. This system enables a constrained geometry to preserve stem cell niches. The microniches possess enriched goblet cell generation and a thick, adhered mucus layer. Immunofluorescence-based assays were performed to quantitatively assess cell density, proliferation, migration, differentiation, mucus thickness, and the impact of bacteria and toxins on mucus-covered..., Data was collected using confocal microscopy on fixed or live imaged samples; consult the main publication for full details. 
Equipment: A confocal laser scanning microscope (Olympus, Fluoview FV3000) was used to acquire the data used for this study.
No custom code was used to generate or process the data described in this data descriptor.
Processing Information: Images were processed using  ImageJ Fiji or Imaris (Bitplane, Switzerland). ROI were manually cured and measure.
Usage Notes: The data can be used for further analysis with the methods described in the associated publication.
, # Geometrically constrained growth factor concentration favors enrichment of goblet cells and mucus formation

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.95x69p8x9](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.95x69p8x9)

## Description of the data and file structure

This repository contains the data used in the analysis of in vitro cellular proliferation and differentiation, goblet cell characterization, mucus layer accumulation, and the ability of the formed mucus layer to protect intestinal epithelial cells from toxin insults and microbial invasion within a crypt matrix defined via WRN gradient diffusion. The datasets presents the data results from a variety of cell markers and staining profiles and is ideal for comparative studies, colon crypts characterization, mucus measurement, and polarization crypt studies.

### Files and variables

#### File: Figure2G.csv

**Description:** The Figure2G.csv file contains information about the impact of the distance between the through holes (Gap 350 micrometers) on the for..., ,