In this review, we summarize work over the past 15 years on mucin gene expression and regulation in the lung, as well as how mucin gene expression is altered in chronic lung diseases. This field owes a great debt to Carol Basbaum for her pioneering work in dissecting signaling pathways regulating mucin gene expression and for her tremendous energy in promoting the importance of understanding th...

PURPOSE Fungi, rhinoviruses (RVs), and eosinophils are associated with upper respiratory diseases. We evaluated the effects of fungal stimulation and eosinophil co-culture on the expression of mucin genes in RV-infected nasal polyp epithelial cells. METHODS Nasal polyp epithelial cells were obtained from chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Cultured epithelial cells were stimulated with Alternari...

Mucus hypersecretion is a prominent manifestation in patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases. MUC5AC mucin is a major component of airway mucus, and its expression is modulated by a TNF-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE)-EGF receptor pathway that can be activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Dual oxidase 1 (Duox1), a homologue of glycoprotein p91(phox), is expressed in airway epithe...

Mucin production and secretion by specialized epithelial cells is a common mechanism used by mammals to protect the underlying mucosae against various injuries (pollutants, pathogens, pH). The expression of mucin genes is cell- and tissue-specific but is submitted to variations during cell differentiation, inflammatory process, and is altered during carcinogenesis. The molecular mechanisms resp...

The nucleoside analogue gemcitabine displays therapeutic effects mainly against breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Mucin, encoded by the gene MUC1, is a well-established tumor antigen expressed on these tumors. Knowledge of possible effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the level of mucin epitope expression is important for the design of clinical protocols combining chemo- and immunotherapeu...

The original hygiene hypothesis suggests that early childhood respiratory infections preceding allergen exposure may decrease the prevalence of allergic diseases. We have recently demonstrated that Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection preceding allergen exposure reduced allergic responses in mice. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective role of M. pneumoniae in allergic responses...

BACKGROUND Adenophora triphylla var. japonica is empirically used for controlling airway inflammatory diseases in folk medicine. We evaluated the gene expression and production of mucin from airway epithelial cells in response to lupenone, lupeol and taraxerol derived from Adenophora triphylla var. japonica. METHODS Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with lupenone, lupeol or taraxerol f...

Twenty mucin genes have been identified and classified in two groups (encoding secreted membrane-bound proteins). Secreted mucins participate mucus formation by assembling a 3-dimensional network via oligomerization, whereas are anchored to the outer membrane mediating extracellular interactions cell signaling. Both associated with carcinogenesis progression epithelial cancers, therefore consid...

Objectives Mucin phenotype is a tool to classify gastric cancer, but the relationship between mucin and its malignancy still controversial. This study aimed clarify malignant potential of cancer. Methods A total 82 cases early-stage differentiated adenocarcinoma (submucosal invasion cases) obtained from surgeries were studied by immunohistochemistry. Gastric E-cadherin expression analyzed in mu...