Bmi-1 regulates mucin levels and mucin O-glycosylation in the submandibular gland of mice

Abstract

Mucins, the major components of salivary mucus, are large glycoproteins abundantly modified with O-glycans. Mucins present on the surface of oral tissues contribute greatly to the maintenance of oral hygiene by selectively adhering to the surfaces of microbes via mucin O-glycans. However, due to the complex physicochemical properties of mucins, there have been relatively few detailed analyses of the mechanisms controlling the expression of mucin genes and the glycosyltransferase genes involved in glycosylation. Analysis performed using supported molecular matrix electrophoresis, a methodology developed for mucin analysis, and knockout mice without the polycomb group protein Bmi-1 revealed that Bmi-1 regulates mucin levels in the submandibular gland by suppressing the expression of the mucin Smgc gene, and that Bmi-1 also regulates mucin O-glycosylation via suppression of the glycosyltransferase Gcnt3 gene in the submandibular gland.

The Crucial Roles of Bmi-1 in Cancer: Implications in Pathogenesis, Metastasis, Drug Resistance, and Targeted Therapies

“…Bmi-1 regulates cell fate via transcriptional repression tumor suppressor WW Domain Containing Oxidoreductase (WWOX) in small-cell lung cancer cells [ 81 ]. Bmi-1 suppresses the expression of Smgc gene and Gcnt3 gene [ 82 ]. Bmi-1 activates Wnt signaling in colon cancer by negatively regulating the Wnt antagonist IDAX [ 83 ].…”