In-situ hybridization localized MUC7 mucin gene expression to the mucous acinar cells of human and MUC7-transgenic mouse salivary glands

MUC7 gene that encodes the low molecular weight human salivary mucin MG2, w as previously shown to be expressed in tissue-specific manner in normal hum an salivary glands and in salivary glands of transgenic mice carrying the M UC7 transgene. The purpose of this study was to examine the cell specificit y of MUC7 expression in human and transgenic mice salivary glands. To local ize the MUC7 transcripts, we used in-situ hybridization in combination with Tyramide Signal Amplification procedure. The results clearly showed that i n both the human and transgenic mice salivary gland tissue sections, MUC7 t ranscripts were localized only in mucous acinar cells; no signals were foun d in serous acinar cells or any other cell types present in these salivary glands.