Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, Vol 4, 261-270, Copyright © 1993 by International & American Associations for Dental Research

ARTICLES

Biophysical approaches to salivary mucin structure, conformation and dynamics

T. A. Gerken
Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106.

Our understanding of the origins of the physical and biochemical properties of mucous glycoproteins is incomplete and not with out controversy. Recent molecular biological and biophysical studies revealing the architecture and solution structure and dynamics of a series of salivary mucins, invaluable toward resolving many of these questions, are discussed. Mucins are very large, structurally heterogeneous, and highly expanded molecules with the carbohydrate playing a key role in maintaining the extended mucin conformation.

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