In-depth analysis of the tear fluid glycoproteome reveals diverse lacritin glycosylation and spliceoforms.

ABSTRACT: Tear fluid comprises a diverse group of extracellular glycoproteins which are critical for ocular homeostasis. Within the tear fluid glycoproteome, lacritin is highly expressed and plays a key role in immune response, tear secretion, and antimicrobial activity. Importantly, glycosylation constitutes over 50% of lacritin's molecular weight. However, despite this fact, nothing is known about the specific glycan structures on lacritin and how they influence its protein folding, function, or downstream biological processes. Similarly, it remains completely unknown whether alterations to lacritin glycans are correlated with ocular pathologies. To address this gap in knowledge, we harnessed mass spectrometry to conduct the first O-glycoproteomic study of tear fluid. Here, we report unprecedented

SUBMITTER: Chang V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12450620 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature