1. |
- Ambort, Daniel, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Calcium and pH-dependent packing and release of the gel-forming MUC2 mucin.
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490 .- 0027-8424. ; 109:15, s. 5645-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MUC2, the major colonic mucin, forms large polymers by N-terminal trimerization and C-terminal dimerization. Although the assembly process for MUC2 is established, it is not known how MUC2 is packed in the regulated secretory granulae of the goblet cell. When the N-terminal VWD1-D2-D'D3 domains (MUC2-N) were expressed in a goblet-like cell line, the protein was stored together with full-length MUC2. By mimicking the pH and calcium conditions of the secretory pathway we analyzed purified MUC2-N by gel filtration, density gradient centrifugation, and transmission electron microscopy. At pH 7.4 the MUC2-N trimer eluted as a single peak by gel filtration. At pH 6.2 with Ca(2+) it formed large aggregates that did not enter the gel filtration column but were made visible after density gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopy studies revealed that the aggregates were composed of rings also observed in secretory granulae of colon tissue sections. The MUC2-N aggregates were dissolved by removing Ca(2+) and raising pH. After release from goblet cells, the unfolded full-length MUC2 formed stratified layers. These findings suggest a model for mucin packing in the granulae and the mechanism for mucin release, unfolding, and expansion.
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2. |
- Ambort, Daniel, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Function of the CysD domain of the gel-forming MUC2 mucin.
- 2011
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In: Biochem Journal. ; 436, s. 61-70
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The colonic human MUC2 mucin forms a polymeric gel by covalent disulfide bonds in its N- and C-termini. The middle part of MUC2 is largely composed of two highly O-glycosylated mucin domains that are interrupted by a CysD domain of unknown function. We studied its function as recombinant proteins fused to a removable immunoglobulin Fc domain. Analysis of affinity-purified fusion proteins by native gel electrophoresis and gel filtration showed that they formed oligomeric complexes. Analysis of the individual isolated CysD parts showed that they formed dimers both when flanked by two MUC2 tandem repeats and without these. Cleavages of the two non-reduced CysD fusion proteins and analysis by MS revealed the localization of all five CysD disulfide bonds and that the predicted C-mannosylated site was not glycosylated. All disulfide bonds were within individual peptides showing that the domain was stabilized by intramolecular disulfide bonds and that CysD dimers were of non-covalent nature. These observations suggest that CysD domains act as non-covalent cross-links in the MUC2 gel, thereby determining the pore sizes of the mucus.
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3. |
- Ambort, Daniel, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Perspectives on mucus properties and formation--lessons from the biochemical world.
- 2012
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In: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 2157-1422. ; 2:11
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Research review (peer-reviewed)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.
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4. |
- Bäckström, Malin, 1967, et al.
(author)
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Increased understanding of the biochemistry and biosynthesis of MUC2 and other gel-forming mucins through the recombinant expression of their protein domains.
- 2013
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In: Molecular biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1559-0305 .- 1073-6085. ; 54:2, s. 250-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The gel-forming mucins are large and heavily O-glycosylated proteins which build up mucus gels. The recombinant production of full-length gel-forming mucins has not been possible to date. In order to study mucin biosynthesis and biochemistry, we and others have taken the alternative approach of constructing different recombinant proteins consisting of one or several domains of these large proteins and expressing them separately in different cell lines. Using this approach, we have determined that MUC2, the intestinal gel-forming mucin, dimerizes via its C-terminal cysteine-knot domain and also trimerizes via one of the N-terminal von Willebrand D domains. Both of these interactions are disulfide bond mediated. Via this assembly, a molecular network is built by which the mucus gel is formed. Here we discuss not only the functional understanding obtained from studies of the recombinant proteins, but also highlight the difficulties encountered when these proteins were produced recombinantly. We often found an accumulation of the proteins in the ER and consequently no secretion. This was especially apparent when the cysteine-rich domains of the N- and C-terminal parts of the mucins were expressed. Other proteins that we constructed were either not secreted or not expressed at all. Despite these problems, the knowledge of mucin biosynthesis and assembly has advanced considerably through the studies of these recombinant proteins.
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5. |
- Gustafsson, Jenny K, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Bicarbonate and functional CFTR channel are required for proper mucin secretion and link cystic fibrosis with its mucus phenotype.
- 2012
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In: The Journal of experimental medicine. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 1540-9538 .- 0022-1007. ; 209:7, s. 1263-72
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by a nonfunctional chloride and bicarbonate ion channel (CF transmembrane regulator [CFTR]), but the link to the phenomenon of stagnant mucus is not well understood. Mice lacking functional CFTR (CftrΔ508) have no lung phenotype but show similar ileal problems to humans. We show that the ileal mucosa in CF have a mucus that adhered to the epithelium, was denser, and was less penetrable than that of wild-type mice. The properties of the ileal mucus of CF mice were normalized by secretion into a high concentration sodium bicarbonate buffer (~100 mM). In addition, bicarbonate added to already formed CF mucus almost completely restored the mucus properties. This knowledge may provide novel therapeutic options for CF.
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6. |
- Johansson, Malin E V, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Composition and functional role of the mucus layers in the intestine.
- 2011
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In: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1420-682X .- 1420-9071. ; 68, s. 3635-3641
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In discussions on intestinal protection, the protective capacity of mucus has not been very much considered. The progress in the last years in understanding the molecular nature of mucins, the main building blocks of mucus, has, however, changed this. The intestinal enterocytes have their apical surfaces covered by transmembrane mucins and the whole intestinal surface is further covered by mucus, built around the gel-forming mucin MUC2. The mucus of the small intestine has only one layer, whereas the large intestine has a two-layered mucus where the inner, attached layer has a protective function for the intestine, as it is impermeable to the luminal bacteria.
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7. |
- Nilsson, Harriet E., et al.
(author)
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Intestinal MUC2 mucin supramolecular topology by packing and release resting on D3 domain assembly.
- 2014
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In: Journal of molecular biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1089-8638 .- 0022-2836. ; 426:14, s. 2567-79
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MUC2 is the major gel-forming mucin of the colon forming a protective gel barrier organized into an inner stratified and an outer loose layer. The MUC2 N-terminus (D1-D2-D'D3 domains) has a dual function in building a net-like structure by disulfide-bonded trimerization and packing the MUC2 polymer into an N-terminal concatenated polygonal platform with the C-termini extending perpendicularly by pH- and calcium-dependent interactions. We studied the N-terminal D'D3 domain by producing three recombinant variants, with or without Myc tag and GFP (green fluorescent protein), and analyzed these by gel filtration, electron microscopy and single particle image processing. The three variants were all trimers when analyzed upon denaturing conditions but eluted as hexamers upon gel filtration under native conditions. Studies by electron microscopy and three-dimensional maps revealed cage-like structures with 2- and 3-fold symmetries. The structure of the MUC2 D3 domain confirms that the MUC2 mucin forms branched net-like structures. This suggests that the MUC2 mucin is stored with two N-terminal concatenated ring platforms turned by 180° against each other, implicating that every second unfolded MUC2 net in mature mucus is turned upside down.
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