title: [MUC genes: a superfamily of genes? Towards a functional classification of human apomucins].
abstract: The MUC genes encode epithelial mucins. Eight different human genes have been well characterized, and two others identified more recently. Among them, a family of four genes, expressed in the respiratory and digestive tracts, is clustered to chromosome 11p15.5; and these genes encode gel-forming mucins which are structurally related to the superfamily of cystine-knot growth factors. A second group is composed of three independent genes encoding various isoforms of mucins including membrane-bound mucins associated to carcinomas. In this second group, MUC3 and MUC4 encode large apomucins containing EGF-like domains.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM n(o) 377, Lille.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Porchet
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Buisine
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Desseyn
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moniaux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nollet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Degand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pigny
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Seuningen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aubert
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001059:Apoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055263:Mucin-3; D055264:Mucin-4; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; C524658:MUC4 protein, human; D055263:Mucin-3; D055264:Mucin-4; D009077:Mucins
vernacular_title: Gènes MUC: une superfamille de gènes? Vers une classification fonctionnelle des apomucines humaines.