Epithelial mucins

Karsten, U., Serttas, N., Paulsen, H., Danielczyk, A., and Goletz, S. (2004) Binding patterns of DTR-specific antibodies reveal a glycosylation-conditioned tumor-specific epitope of the epithelial mucin (MUC1). Glycobiology 14(8), 681-692. 

At present, nine different human epithelial mucin genes have been identified, each of which contains distinct sequences repeated in tandem that encode (apo)mucin core polypeptides (MUC) [10],... 

Histochemical demonstration of most of the O-acetylated sialic acids is possible because substituents on the side chain of Neu hinder periodate oxidation of this part of the molecule to an extent dependent on the number and position of the O-acetyl groups already mentioned. Correspondingly, removal of these ester groups by alkaline treatment (0.5% KOH in 70% ethanol91) may increase the staining reaction of a sialic acid. For example, the presence of O-acylated sialic acids has been demonstrated in colonic, epithelial mucin of man and various mammals (summarized in Ref. 91), in healthy and diseased, human small-intestine,188-190 in bovine submandibular gland,182 in mouse and rat erythrocyte-membranes,191 and in human lymphocytes.192... 

Hens, J.R., Rogers, G.W., Huott, M.L., Patton, S. 1995. Association of the epithelial mucin, PAS-1, with yield, health, and reproductive traits in Holstein dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 78, 2473-2480. 

Patton, S. 2001. MUC1 and MUCX, epithelial mucins of breast and milk. In Bioactive Components of Human Milk (D.S. Newburg, ed.), pp. 35 45, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press, New York. 

Patton, S., Gendler, S.J., Spicer, A.P. 1995. The epithelial mucin, MUC1, of milk, mammary gland, and other tissues. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1241, 407-424. 

Argueso P, Gipson IK (2001) Epithelial mucins of the ocular surface structure, biosynthesis and function. Exp Eye Res 73(3) 281—289... 

A significant positive correlation has been observed between the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the conjunctival epithelium and the severity of ocular irritation symptoms and corneal fluorescein staining. The inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory mediators also correlate positively to severity of conjimctival squamous metaplasia in Sjogren patients. These proin-flammatory cytokines also have been implicated in regulation of epithelial mucin expression, with several studies suggesting inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of meibomian gland dysfunction as well. 

Girling A. Bartkova J. Burchell J. et al. A core protein epitope of the polymorphic epithelial mucin detected by the monoclonal antibody SM-3 is selectively exposed in a range of primary carcinomas. Int J Cancer 1989, 43, 1072-1076. 

Several EMA antibodies, each of which reacts to different epitopes of the large glycoprotein antigen, are available, including MAM-6, episialin, polymorphic epithelial mucin, (3AI5-3, DF3 antigen, and breast epithelial mucin.The EMA antibodies stain skin... 

McGuckin MA, Walsh MD, Hohn BG, et al. Prognostic significance of MUCl epithelial mucin expression in breast cancet. Hum Pathol. 1995 26 432-439. 

Gendler S, Taylor-Papadimitriou J, Duhig T, et al. A highly immunogenic r ion of a human polymorphic epithelial mucin expressed by carcinomas is made up of tandem repeats. J Biol Chem. 1988 263 12820-12823. 

The over-expression of MUCl, a human tumor-associated epithelial mucin, is correlated with the progression of breast, ovarian, and colon cancer. Based on these observations and the promising biological properties of the unimolecular pentavalent vaccine, Danishefslty s group prepared a hybrid vaccine construct containing a unimolecular pentavalent glycopeptide domain covalently linked to the MUCl peptide (Fig. 2). ° The preparation of the KLH conjugate of this construct is currently underway. 

Staining for thirty minutes in filtered 0.1% Alcian blue in 3% acetic acid, pH 2.5-2.8, colors the mucins of connective tissues, most epithelium, and certain microbial capsules (84h) deep blue to turquoise, with little or no staining of nucleic acids. Results with the Alcian blue stain resemble more those obtained with the better variants of the dialyzed iron procedure than those obtained with metachromatic dyes. In the case of epithelial mucins, Alcian blue has much greater sensitivity than toluidine blue. 

Sc) is a simpler and more selective procedure for the coloration of both acidic groups and vicinal glycols than the Ritter-Oleson method 91) described above. The combination procedure gives a more complete demonstration of carbohydrates, e.g., epithelial mucins, than either method used alone. Alcian blue can be used at different pH levels for the study of dyebinding capacity and in acidified 70% alcohol for staining water-soluble, alcohol-insoluble substances 75),... 

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