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. 2015 Dec 22:7:29759.
doi: 10.3402/jom.v7.29759. eCollection 2015.

Salivary mucins in host defense and disease prevention

Erica Shapiro Frenkel  1   2 , Katharina Ribbeck  3
Affiliations

Salivary mucins in host defense and disease prevention

Erica Shapiro Frenkel et al. J Oral Microbiol. .

Abstract

Mucus forms a protective coating on wet epithelial surfaces throughout the body that houses the microbiota and plays a key role in host defense. Mucins, the primary structural components of mucus that creates its viscoelastic properties, are critical components of the gel layer that protect against invading pathogens. Altered mucin production has been implicated in diseases such as ulcerative colitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis, which highlights the importance of mucins in maintaining homeostasis. Different types of mucins exist throughout the body in various locations such as the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and female genital tract, but this review will focus on mucins in the oral cavity. Salivary mucin structure, localization within the oral cavity, and defense mechanisms will be discussed. These concepts will then be applied to present what is known about the protective function of mucins in oral diseases such as HIV/AIDS, oral candidiasis, and dental caries.

Keywords: MUC5B; MUC7; mucin; oral health; saliva.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Introduction to mucins. (a) Epithelial surfaces where mucins can be found in the body. (b) Predicted domain structures of the salivary mucins MUC5B (20, 21), MUC7 (21, 22), MUC19 (12), MUC1 (21, 23, 24), and MUC4 (25). Note that predicted domain sequences can vary based on detection method.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Potential ways salivary mucins could protect the oral cavity from microbial colonization. (a) Salivary mucins could agglutinate microbes, which would facilitate their removal during swallowing. (b) Salivary mucins could also disperse bacteria through glycan-specific interactions. Selective interactions between mucins and microbes may have downstream effects on genetic regulation that reduce virulence and suppress biofilm formation. Changes in microbial physiology are indicated by green shading.
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