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Comment
. 2012 Aug 24;337(6097):924-5.
doi: 10.1126/science.1227091.

Biochemistry. Walking on solid ground

B F Dickey  1
Affiliations
Comment

Biochemistry. Walking on solid ground

B F Dickey. Science. .

Erratum in

  • Science. 2012 Nov 2;338(6107):604
No abstract available

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Figures

None
Airway mucus layers.
(A) A mobile mucus gel is continually swept out of the lungs and swallowed (blue). (B) The mucus layer moves over an immobile periciliary layer of greater glycoconjugate density. Secretory cells synthesize polymeric mucins that form the mobile gel, while ciliated cells propel the gel. (C) A dense array of membrane-tethered mucins and mucopolysaccharides coats airway epithelial surfaces, and secretory cells release mucin polymers that travel upwards to be incorporated into the mobile gel. (D) Densely packed sugar side-chains cause membrane-tethered mucins to assume a partially extended configuration, while mucin polymers in the gel layer are random entangled coils.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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