International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Mucins: the Old, the New and the Promising Factors in Hepatobiliary Carcinogenesis Aldona Kasprzak 1,* and Agnieszka Adamek 2 1 Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Swiecicki Street 6, 60-781 Pozna´n,Poland 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Acquired Immunodeficiencies, University of Medical Sciences, Szwajcarska Street 3, 61-285 Pozna´n,Poland;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +48-61-8546441; Fax: +48-61-8546440 Received: 25 February 2019; Accepted: 10 March 2019; Published: 14 March 2019 Abstract: Mucins are large O-glycoproteins with high carbohydrate content and marked diversity in both the apoprotein and the oligosaccharide moieties. All three mucin types, trans-membrane (e.g., MUC1, MUC4, MUC16), secreted (gel-forming) (e.g., MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6) and soluble (non-gel-forming) (e.g., MUC7, MUC8, MUC9, MUC20), are critical in maintaining cellular functions, particularly those of epithelial surfaces. Their aberrant expression and/or altered subcellular localization is a factor of tumour growth and apoptosis induced by oxidative stress and several anti-cancer agents. Abnormal expression of mucins was observed in human carcinomas that arise in various gastrointestinal organs. It was widely believed that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) does not produce mucins, whereas cholangiocarcinoma (CC) or combined HCC-CC may produce these glycoproteins. However, a growing number of reports shows that mucins can be produced by HCC cells that do not exhibit or are yet to undergo, morphological differentiation to biliary phenotypes. Evaluation of mucin expression levels in precursors and early lesions of CC, as well as other types of primary liver cancer (PLC), conducted in in vitro and in vivo models, allowed to discover the mechanisms of their action, as well as their participation in the most important signalling pathways of liver cystogenesis and carcinogenesis.