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Review
. 2020 Jun 30:8:514.
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00514. eCollection 2020.

The Diverse Roles of the Mucin Gene Cluster Located on Chromosome 11p15.5 in Colorectal Cancer

Guo-Lian Gan  1 , Jing Liu  2   3 , Wen-Jia Chen  2   3 , Qian-Qian Ye  2   3 , Ya Xu  2 , Hua-Tao Wu  1 , Wei Li  1
Affiliations
Review

The Diverse Roles of the Mucin Gene Cluster Located on Chromosome 11p15.5 in Colorectal Cancer

Guo-Lian Gan et al. Front Cell Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common malignant tumor in the world, shows multiple complex and pathologies based on the impaired structure and function of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Goblet cells secrete mucins, which are involved in the formation of the intestinal mucosal barrier and not only lubricate and protect the intestinal mucosa but also participate in the processes of cell adhesion, intercellular signal transduction, and immune regulation. It is accepted that the disordered expression and dysfunction of mucins are associated with the occurrence and development of CRC. This article focuses on the secretory mucins encoded by a gene cluster located on chromosome 11p15.5 and systematically reviews their composition, regulation, function, and role in CRC, to deepen the understanding of the pathogeneses of CRC and to provide a new basis and ideas for the treatment of CRC.

Keywords: cell adhesion; colorectal cancer; dysfunction; mucin; occurrence.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
MUCs located on chromosome 11p15.5 and their relative positions. The MUC gene cluster spans a region of approximately 400 kb; the map extends to 770 kb, and the beginning and end of each gene are specified under their red arrow.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Promoter regions of MUCs and their functional domains. The promoter region of each gene contains different binding sites for transcriptional factors. (A) MUC2 is regulated at the transcriptional level by the transcriptional factors CDX, CDX2, P53, and Sp. (B) MUC5AC is transcriptionally regulated by the transcriptional factors NF-κB, Hes1, and Sp. (C) The transcriptional level of MUC5B is regulated by the transcriptional factors NF-κB and Sp1. (D) MUC6 is regulated at the transcriptional level by the transcriptional factors NF-κB and Sp. Abbreviations: CDX (caudal-related homeobox); Sp. (signal peptide); AP1 (activator protein 1); NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB); P53 (a tumor suppressor gene, binding to p53-responsive elements in the promoter region); Hes1 (hes family bHLH transcription factor 1).
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