Thornton David J, Rousseau Karine, McGuckin Michael A
Wellcome Trust Center for Cell Matrix Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
Annu Rev Physiol. 2008;70:459-86. doi: 10.1146/annurev.physiol.70.113006.100702.
The airways mucus gel performs a critical function in defending the respiratory tract against pathogenic and environmental challenges. In normal physiology, the secreted mucins, in particular the polymeric mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B, provide the organizing framework of the airways mucus gel and are major contributors to its rheological properties. However, overproduction of mucins is an important factor in the morbidity and mortality of chronic airways disease (e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The roles of these enormous, multifunctional, O-linked glycoproteins in health and disease are discussed.
气道黏液凝胶在保护呼吸道免受病原体和环境挑战方面发挥着关键作用。在正常生理状态下，分泌的黏蛋白，特别是聚合黏蛋白MUC5AC和MUC5B，构成了气道黏液凝胶的组织框架，并对其流变学特性起主要作用。然而，黏蛋白的过度产生是慢性气道疾病（如哮喘、囊性纤维化和慢性阻塞性肺疾病）发病和死亡的重要因素。本文讨论了这些巨大的、多功能的O-连接糖蛋白在健康和疾病中的作用。
