Mucin 2 Antibody

Mucin 2, also known as MUC2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MUC2 gene. This gene encodes a member of the mucin protein family. It is mapped to 11p15.5. Mucin 2 is particularly prominent in the gut where it is secreted from goblet cells in the epithelial lining into the lumen of the large intestine. There, mucin 2, along with small amounts of related-mucin proteins, polymerizes into a gel of which 80% by weight is oligosaccharide side-chains that are added as post-translational modifications to the mucin proteins. This gel provides an insoluble mucous barrier that serves to protect the intestinal epithelium. The primary function of the MUC2 gene product is to provide a protective barrier between the epithelial surfaces and the gut lumen. There is decreased expression of MUC2 in colonic cancer and defective polymerization of secreted mucin in ulcerative colitis.