MUC2

Mucin 2, oligomeric mucus gel-forming, also known as MUC2, is a is_associated_with::protein that in humans is encoded by the MUC2 is_associated_with::gene.

Function
This gene encodes a member of the is_associated_with::mucin protein family. The protein encoded by this gene, also called mucin 2, is secreted onto mucosal surfaces.

Mucin 2 is particularly prominent in the gut where it is secreted from is_associated_with::goblet cells in the epithelial lining into the lumen of the is_associated_with::large intestine. There, mucin 2, along with small amounts of related-mucin proteins, is_associated_with::polymerizes into a gel of which 80% by weight is is_associated_with::oligosaccharide side-chains that are added as is_associated_with::post-translational modifications to the mucin proteins. This gel provides an insoluble mucous barrier that serves to protect the is_associated_with::intestinal epithelium.

Genetics
The mucin 2 protein features a central domain containing tandem repeats rich in is_associated_with::threonine and is_associated_with::proline that varies between 50 and 115 copies in different individuals. Alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene have been described, but their full-length nature is not known.