The Role of MUC1 Cytoplasmic Domain in Tumorigenesis

Abstract

MUC1 is a large, heavily O-glycosylated membrane mucin that is normally expressed on the apical surface of most simple secretory epithelia and several hematopoietic cells 1-3. More than 90% of human breast carcinomas and metastases overexpress aberrantly glycosylated MUC1 4. Moreover, in most adenocarcinomas MUC1 expression is not restricted to the apical surface 5. MUC1 has been identified as an important tumor antigen, however the precise function of MUC1 in tumorigenesis and disease progression remains undefined. Numerous observations point to a role for MUC1 in signal transduction. The 72 amino acid tail of MUC1 contains 7 tyrosines, 6 of which are 100% conserved across the species 6. The cytoplasmic tail of MUC1 has been shown to be phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in epithelial cell lines and mouse mammary gland 7-9. The cytoplasmic tail of MUCi contains potential docking sites for SH2 containing proteins and a number of possible kinase recognition sites 6.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA417517

Entities

People

  • Azzah Al-masri
  • Sandra J. Gendler

Organizations

  • Mayo Clinic Scottsdale

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amino Acids
  • Antibodies
  • Biomedical Research
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Carcinoma
  • Cell Membrane
  • Cell Physiological Processes
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Glands
  • Growth Factors
  • Mammary Glands
  • Molecules
  • Neoplasms
  • Proteins

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Immunology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).