MUC2 mucin gene expression in the nose and maxillary sinus.
OBJECTIVE
The MUC2 gene encodes the core protein of a mucin expressed in the intestine and lower airway. The purpose of this study is to examine if the MUC2 gene is expressed in the nose and maxillary sinus.


METHODS
A Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed. For the Northern blot analysis, RNAs were extracted from maxillary mucosae and nasal polyps of patients with chronic sinusitis and from the inferior turbinates of a nasal allergy patient. For RT-PCR, RNAs were extracted from 10 patients with chronic sinusitis, 4 patients with allergic rhinitis, 2 patients with hypertrophic rhinitis, and 6 volunteers with normal nasal mucosa.


RESULTS
Hybridization of the Northern blot with SMUC41 (a part of MUC2) cDNA probe showed clear bands in 2 of the 3 samples. In RT-PCR, the first round of amplification (35 cycles) failed to give any bands, but the additional 30 cycles with internal primers gave bands in 6 of 22 samples.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that MUC2 mucin gene is expressed in the nose and paranasal sinus. This two-round RT-PCR method will be useful for analysis of MUC2 mucin gene expression using relatively small amount of RNA.
Takeuchi
K
K
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
Yuta
A
A
Sakakura
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014420:Turbinates / Q000378:metabolism
D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C524625:MUC2 protein, human; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins; D012313:RNA