瑞典哥德堡大学Malin E. V. Johansson团队发现，杯状细胞的隐窝亚群对于结肠黏液屏障功能至关重要。2021年4月16日出版的《科学》发表了这一成果。

他们描绘了杯状细胞特定基因和蛋白质表达谱，并鉴定了形成两种分化轨迹的几个不同的杯状细胞群体。一种不同的亚型，位于结肠腔表面的隐窝杯状细胞（icGC），产生的黏液的特性不同于隐窝杯状细胞分泌的黏液。icGCs缺陷的小鼠对化学性结肠炎的敏感性增加，并且随着年龄的增长表现出自发性结肠炎。

此外，在活跃和缓慢溃疡性结肠炎患者中均观察到粘液改变和icGC数量减少，这凸显了icGC在维持上皮功能保护方面的重要性。

据介绍，肠粘液层是上皮保护的重要元素，由杯状细胞产生。肠杯状细胞被认为是同质细胞类型。

附：英文原文

Title: An intercrypt subpopulation of goblet cells is essential for colonic mucus barrier function

Author: Elisabeth E. L. Nystrm, Beatriz Martinez-Abad, Liisa Arike, George M. H. Birchenough, Eric B. Nonnecke, Patricia A. Castillo, Frida Svensson, Charles L. Bevins, Gunnar C. Hansson, Malin E. V. Johansson

Issue&Volume: 2021/04/16

Abstract: The intestinal mucus layer, an important element of epithelial protection, is produced by goblet cells. Intestinal goblet cells are assumed to be a homogeneous cell type. In this study, however, we delineated their specific gene and protein expression profiles and identified several distinct goblet cell populations that form two differentiation trajectories. One distinct subtype, the intercrypt goblet cells (icGCs), located at the colonic luminal surface, produced mucus with properties that differed from the mucus secreted by crypt-residing goblet cells. Mice with defective icGCs had increased sensitivity to chemically induced colitis and manifested spontaneous colitis with age. Furthermore, alterations in mucus and reduced numbers of icGCs were observed in patients with both active and remissive ulcerative colitis, which highlights the importance of icGCs in maintaining functional protection of the epithelium.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1590

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6539/eabb1590