Mucus is the viscous secretion that covers epithelial surfaces (trachea, colon, and cervix) and consists of twenty highly glycosylated proteins called mucins. The mucin family all are high-molecular weight proteins with oligosaccharides attached to the serine or threonine residues of their core protein backbone by O-glycosidic linkages. Mucins play fundamental roles in mucosal cell protection, lubrication, and communication with their external environment as detailed by Corfield1. They have been implicated in epithelial renewal and differentiation. There are two distinct categories of mucins: transmembrane mucins (MUC1, MUC3, MUC4, MUC12, MUC13, MUC15, MUC16, MUC17, MUC20 and MUC21) and secreted mucins (MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6, MUC7, and MUC19). MUC4 in particular is normally expressed in epithelial tissues including respiratory, colonic, and vaginal epithelia. Its expression is altered in various tumors including fibromyoxoid sarcoma and carcinomas of pancreas, bile duct, and pancreatic duct.
Immunohistochemistry: MUC4 Antibody
MUC4's-mediated activation of ErbB2 downstream signaling may lead to cell proliferation/survival, and tumor cells can exploit the varied anti-apoptotic activities of MUC4 to augment survival or develop drug resistance. Miyahara et al used a MUC4 antibody to take a closer look at the interaction of Muc4 and ErbB2 in a transgenic mouse model of gallbladder carcinoma5. Recent structural insights into how mucins govern host and microbe (bacterial) interactions within gut are reviewed by Eztoid2. The MUC4 antibody was used by Kalanina’s lab to establish and characterize the new human pancreatic cancer PaCa5061cell line in hopes of using it as a much needed investigative model system for a disease still lacking viable treatment options3. A group from Osaka relied upon the MUC4 antibody to identify a novel carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) carrier (named BGM) in the bile and sera of pancreatic cancer patients4. BGM may serve as another CA19-9 carrier in addition to mucins. Novus Biologicals offers MUC4 reagents for your research needs including:
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