Mucus threads from surface goblet cells clear particles from the airways

Respiratory Research

Brendan Dolan¹  Gunnar C. Hansson¹  Lauren N. Meiss¹  Anna Ermund¹  Lars Ewaldsson²  Nikolai Klymiuk³  Andrea Bähr³  Florian Jaudas³ 

[1] Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 440, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden;Experimental Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden;Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany;

关键词: Mucins;    Respiratory tract;    Mucus bundle;    Goblet cells;    Trachea;    Bronchi;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12931-021-01898-3

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe mucociliary clearance system driven by beating cilia protects the airways from inhaled microbes and particles. Large particles are cleared by mucus bundles made in submucosal glands by parallel linear polymers of the MUC5B mucins. However, the structural organization and function of the mucus generated in surface goblet cells are poorly understood.MethodsThe origin and characteristics of different mucus structures were studied on live tissue explants from newborn wild-type (WT), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) deficient (CF) piglets and weaned pig airways using video microscopy, Airyscan imaging and electron microscopy. Bronchoscopy was performed in juvenile pigs in vivo.ResultsWe have identified a distinct mucus formation secreted from the surface goblet cells with a diameter less than two micrometer. This type of mucus was named mucus threads. With time mucus threads gathered into larger mucus assemblies, efficiently collecting particles. The previously observed Alcian blue stained mucus bundles were around 10 times thicker than the threads. Together the mucus bundles, mucus assemblies and mucus threads cleared the pig trachea from particles.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that normal airway mucus is more complex and has a more variable structural organization and function than was previously understood. These observations emphasize the importance of studying young objects to understand the function of a non-compromised lung.

【 授权许可】

CC BY