Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Epithelial mucins and bacterial adhesion
Florent Colomb, Catherine Robbe-Masselot, Sophie
Groux-Degroote, Julie Bouckaert, Philippe Delannoy*
and Jean-Claude Michalski
DOI: 10.1039/9781849739986-00596
Mucins are high molecular weight glycoproteins characterized by highly O-glycosylated
tandem repeat domains. Mucin-type O-glycans exhibit a variety of terminal sequences
including histo-blood group antigens that serve as counter receptors and participate in
the adhesion and clearance of numerous bacteria including pathogens. In parallel, the
pathological changes of mucin glycosylation modulate bacterial adhesion, often
enhancing the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria. This review summarizes the current
knowledge on the structure and biosynthesis of epithelial mucin O-glycans chains, the
physio-pathological glycosylation repertoire of mucins and the role of mucin glycosyla-
tion in bacterial adhesion, focusing on the gastrointestinal tract and airway mucins.
1 Introduction
Mucins are major components of mucus and apical cell membranes of
epithelia. They are high molecular weight glycoproteins characterized by
the presence in the protein backbone of tandem repeat domains highly
O-glycosylated onto serine and threonine residues. The O-glycan chains
contribute to maintain the extended structure of mucins, conferring
their rheological and biological properties essential for their protective
functions. Mucin-type O-glycan chains are extremely diversified and
exhibit a large number of terminal histo-blood group antigens that can
serve as counter receptors for a large set of bacteria and participate to the
adhesion and clearance of pathogens. The glycosylation of mucins is also
modified in pathological conditions and the change of glyco-epitopes at
the surface of epithelia modulates bacterial adhesion, thereby most often
enhancing the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria. In this review, we
summarize our current knowledge on the structure and biosynthesis of
epithelial mucin O-glycans chains, the tissue and physio-pathological
specific glycosylation repertoire of mucins and the role of epithelial
mucins in bacterial adhesion, focusing on glycosylation of gastrointestinal
and airway mucins, which are the main mucins exposed to bacteria.
2 Structure of epithelial mucin O-glycans
2.1 Secreted and cell surface mucins
Mucins are the major structural components of mucus, a thick gelatinous
fluid secreted by specialized epithelial cells such as goblet cells that
covers and protects many human organs. Mucins are responsible for the
rheological properties of mucus and are very high molecular weight
Search WWH ::
Custom Search