Comparative action of reducing agents on fibrillar human bronchial mucus under dissociating and non-dissociating conditions.
Gel=like or fibrillar human bronchial mucus was reduced with mercaptoethanol under dissociating and non-dissociating conditions. Bronchial mucus was solubilized in both conditions; but reduction in phosphate buffer induced more extensive depolymerization of mucus glycoproteins than obtained under reduction in guanidine. Moreover, mucins prepared by reduction in non-dissociating conditions contained less amino acid and more carbohydrate. These data strongly suggest that reduction under non-dissociating conditions does not act only on disulfide bridges but also induces the activation of a mucolytic enzymatic system. They also would explain some of the discrepancies observed in the molecular weight determination and chemical composition of human bronchial mucus glycoproteins purified after reduction of gel-like mucus under different conditions.
D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019791:Guanidine; D006146:Guanidines; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009093:Mucus / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D006023:Glycoproteins; D006146:Guanidines; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D019791:Guanidine