Tracheobronchial air-liquid interface cell culture: a model for innate mucosal defense of the upper airways?

ABSTRACT: Human tracheobronchial epithelial cells grown in air-liquid interface culture have emerged as a powerful tool for the study of airway biology. In this study, we have investigated whether this culture system produces "mucus" with a protein composition similar to that of in vivo, induced airway secretions. Previous compositional studies of mucous secretions have greatly underrepresented the contribution of mucins, which are major structural components of normal mucus. To overcome this limitation, we have used a mass spectrometry-based approach centered on prior separation of the mucins from the majority of the other proteins. Using this approach, we have compared the protein composition of apical secretions (AS) from well-differentiated primary human tracheobronchial cells grown at air-liqui

SUBMITTER: Kesimer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2636953 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature