Genes Associated with MUC5AC Expression in the Human Airway Epithelium

To help define the genes associated with mucus synthesis and secretion in the human small airway epithelium, we hypothesized that comparison of the transcriptomes of the small airway epithelium of individuals that express high vs low levels of MUC5AC, a major secretory mucin and the major component of airway mucus, could be used as a probe to identify the genes related to human small airway mucus production / secretion. Genome-wide comparison between healthy nonsmokers grouped as high MUC5AC expressors vs low MUC5AC expressors identified significantly up-regulated and down-regulated genes in the high vs low expressors. Based on the literature, genes in the up-regulated list were used to identify a 73 MUC5AC-associated core gene list with 9 categories: mucus components; mucus-producing cell differentiation-related transcription factor; mucus-producing cell differentiation-related pathway or mediator; post-translational modification of mucin; vesicle transport; endoplasmic reticulum stress-related; secretory granule-associated; mucus secretion-related regulator and mucus hypersecretory-related ion channel. The identification of the genes associated with increased small airway mucin production in humans should be useful in identifying therapeutic targets to treat small airway mucus hypersecretion.

132

Wang G, Xu Z, Wang R, Al-Hijji M, Salit J, Strulovici-Barel Y, Tilley AE, Mezey JG, Crystal RG