The signals that mediate goblet cell expression of specific
mucin chemotypes are poorly defined. Animal and in vitro studies show that acidomucin chemotypes may be altered by
inflammation and changes in intestinal microbiota. To examine factors that may elicit this response, human
adenocarcinoma-derived LS174T cells, which have a goblet cell-like phenotype and produce both sulfo- and
sialomucins, were used to examine the effects of selected microbial and host factors on expression of goblet cell secretory product genes,
sulfotransferases and
sulfomucin production. Expression of genes encoding
mucin 2 (MUC2),
resistin-like molecule β (RETNLB), and
trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and Golgi
sulfotransferases,
carbohydrate (N-acetylglucosamine 6-O)
sulfotransferase 5 (CHST5) and galactose-3-O-sulfotransferase 2 (
GAL3ST2), was measured by quantitative
reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction following treatment with bacterial
flagellin,
tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) or the mucogenic
cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13). Expression of the
toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) gene was also analysed.
Sulfomucin expression was examined via high-
iron diamide/
alcian blue (
HID/AB) histochemistry and immunofluorescent staining for the
Sulfo Le(a)
antigen, which is synthesized in part by
GAL3ST2.
Flagellin,
IL-13 and TNF-α all significantly increased
GAL3ST2, MUC2, TFF3 and TLR5 expression, while only
IL-13 increased RETNLB and CHST5 expression. Based on
HID/AB histochemistry,
mucin sulfation was significantly increased in response to both
flagellin and
IL-13 but not TNF-α. Only treatment with
flagellin increased the expression of the
Sulfo Le(a)
antigen. Collectively, these results indicate that bacterial
flagellin,
IL-13 and TNF-α differentially modulate the expression of goblet cell secretory product genes,
sulfotransferases and
sulfomucin production.