Mucinssuch

Mucinssuch is a term used in glycobiology to describe an integrated workflow for identifying and characterizing mucin glycoproteins in complex biological samples. The approach combines selective enrichment of mucins, advanced mass spectrometry, and glycoproteomics data analysis with targeted bioinformatics to delineate mucin core proteins and map their extensive O-glycosylation. The name fuses mucin with suchen, the German word for "to search," conveying its emphasis on systematic discovery within heterogeneous tissues.

The concept emerged in scholarly discussions of mucin heterogeneity and post-translational modification, and gained use in the 2010s and 2020s as interest in mucin biology grew due to roles in cancer, inflammatory diseases, and airway or intestinal mucosal protection. While not always standardized, mucinssuch is described as a modular workflow that can be adapted to different sample types and research questions.

Typical steps include extraction and enrichment of mucins, often using lectin affinity or chemical capture, followed by proteolytic digestion optimized for heavily glycosylated proteins. Mass spectrometry, including tandem MS and glycopeptide sequencing, is used to identify mucin peptides and characterize site-specific glycosylation. Data are integrated with mucin-domain databases and glycoannotation tools to assign proteins and glycan structures.

Mucinssuch supports biomarker discovery, mucin biology studies, and the development of diagnostic panels for diseases where mucin expression or glycosylation is altered, such as certain cancers and inflammatory conditions. It is also used to compare mucin profiles across tissues, species, and disease states.

Challenges include the extreme heterogeneity and high molecular weight of mucins, dense and diverse O-glycans, and limited sequence coverage by standard proteomics. Standardization of workflows and reporting remains ongoing, but the approach is widely recognized as a useful framework for mucin-focused investigations.