title: Architecture of the large membrane-bound mucins.
abstract: Epithelial membrane-bound mucins are high molecular mass glycoproteins that may be also secreted or released into the extracellular environment. The genomic and multi-domain organizations of human large epithelial membrane-bound mucins are reviewed here with the purpose to clarify the literature on the subject with the help of mouse sequences. This family of complex molecules contains at least MUC3A, MUC12, MUC17, all organized in a cluster of genes, MUC4 and likely MUC16. In addition, we discuss the splicing events reported for these mucins with an emphasis on the human mucin MUC4.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U837 - JPARC, 59045 Lille, France. desseyn@lille.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Desseyn
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tetaert
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gouyer
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D005752:Gastric Mucins / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D009077:Mucins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D005752:Gastric Mucins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009077:Mucins; C053366:apomucin