title: Perspectives on mucus properties and formation--lessons from the biochemical world.
abstract: Our model of the MUC2 mucin shows a well-organized netlike gel that is cross-linked by six different covalent and noncovalent bonds. When the MUC2 mucin is packed in the mucin granule it is organized by an amino-terminal concatenated ring platform formed at high calcium and low pH. This packing allows an ordered release and a normal mucin expansion when calcium is removed and pH increased by bicarbonate. This process is defective in the absence of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-dependent bicarbonate transport. The expanded secreted mucin is suggested to be self-organizing by properties inherited in the MUC2 mucin and by proteolytic processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ambort
authors.forename: Malin E V
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Jenny K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ermund
authors.forename: Gunnar C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Hansson
mesh_terms: D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000378:metabolism; D005782:Gels; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D055262:Mucin-2 / Q000737:chemistry; D009077:Mucins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D005782:Gels; C524625:MUC2 protein, human; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins; D011134:Polysaccharides