What is it about?
Large, bulky proteins, known as mucins, line and protect the delicate cells of our respiratory and digestive systems. Here we show how each mucin forms a unique, compacted structure that is stored within cells prior to secretion. Moreover, we identify genes involved in regulating the formation of the compacted structures.
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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Understanding how these large, heavily modified proteins are synthesized and secreted may provide insights into diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease, where the protective mucous layer is disrupted or aberrantly formed.
Perspectives
This article is the culmination of many years of meticulous imaging by very talented young scientists.
Kelly Ten Hagen
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Regulated Restructuring of Mucins During Secretory Granule Maturation In Vivo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209750119.
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