Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens
Mucin 2, oligomeric mucus gel-forming, also known as MUC2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MUC2 gene belonging to the mucin protein family.[5][6]
This gene encodes a member of the gel-forming mucin protein family. The protein encoded by this gene, also called mucin 2, is secreted onto mucosal surfaces[5].
Mucin 2 is particularly prominent in the gut where it is secreted from goblet cells in the epithelial lining. There, mucin 2, along with small amounts of related-mucin proteins, polymerizes into a gel of which 80% by weight is oligosaccharide side-chains that are added as post-translational modifications to the mucin proteins. This gel serves as a physico-chemical barrier to protect the intestinal epithelium from for example shear stress, pathogens, and external particles.
Various intestinal diseases, like intestinal bowel disease (IBD) are associated with MUC2 dysregulation[7].
The mucin 2 protein features a central domain containing tandem repeats rich in threonine and proline that varies between 50 and 115 copies in different individuals. Alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene have been described, but their full-length nature is not known.[8]
Goblet cell mediated MUC2 secretion
[edit]Newly synthesized MUC2 proteins are densly packed in mucus granules and transported to the plasma membranes within goblet cells. Those mucus ganules fuse with the plasma membrane and MUC2 is being released into the gut lumen. Due to its physical properties, MUC2 expands and disperses upon release, becoming a part of the existing mucus barrier.[7]
- ^ a b c GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000198788 – Ensembl, May 2017
- ^ a b c GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000025515 – Ensembl, May 2017
- ^ "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ^ "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ^ a b Allen A, Hutton DA, Pearson JP (July 1998). "The MUC2 gene product: a human intestinal mucin". Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 30 (7): 797–801. doi:10.1016/S1357-2725(98)00028-4. PMID 9722984.
- ^ Rousseau K, Byrne C, Kim YS, Gum JR, Swallow DM, Toribara NW (May 2004). "The complete genomic organization of the human MUC6 and MUC2 mucin genes". Genomics. 83 (5): 936–9. doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2003.11.003. PMID 15081123.
- ^ a b Liu, Yaxin; Yu, Zihan; Zhu, Lanping; Ma, Shuang; Luo, Yang; Liang, Huixi; Liu, Qinlingfei; Chen, Jihua; Guli, Sitan; Chen, Xin (2023-05-01). "Orchestration of MUC2 — The key regulatory target of gut barrier and homeostasis: A review". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 236 123862. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123862. ISSN 0141-8130.
- ^ "Entrez Gene: MUC2 mucin 2, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming".
