Goblet cell - wikipedia Goblet cell This article may be written from an excessively anthropocentric perspective. Please improve this article so that it appropriately covers non-human species, or discuss this issue on the talk page. Goblet cell Schematic illustration of a goblet cell in close up, illustrating different internal structures of the cell. Transverse section of a villus, from the human intestine. X 350. a. Basement membrane, here somewhat shrunken away from the epithelium. b. Lacteal. c. Columnar epithelium. d. Its striated border. e. Goblet cells. f. Leucocytes in epithelium. f '. Leucocytes below epithelium. g. Blood vessels. h. Muscle cells cut across. Details System Respiratory system Identifiers Latin exocrimohsinocytus caliciformis Code TH H3. 04.03. 0.00009 ; H3. 04.03. 0.00016 H3. 05.00. 0.00006 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) Goblet cells are simple columnar epithelial cells that secrete gel - forming mucins, like mucin MUC5AC. The goblet cells mainly use the merocrine method of secretion, secreting vesicles into a duct, but may use apocrine methods, budding off their secretions, when under stress. The term goblet refers to the cell 's goblet - like shape. The apical portion is shaped like a cup, as it is distended by abundant mucus laden granules ; its basal portion lacks these granules and is shaped like a stem. The goblet cell is highly polarized with the nucleus and other organelles concentrated at the base of the cell and secretory granules containing mucin, at the apical surface. The apical plasma membrane projects microvilli to give an increased surface area for secretion. Goblet cells are typically found in the respiratory, reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts and are surrounded by stratified squamous cells. Differentiation of epithelial cells into goblet cells plays a key role in the excessive mucus production seen in many diseases, such as asthma and cancer. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Microanatomy 2 Function 2.1 Role in oral tolerance 3 Clinical significance 3.1 Allergic asthma 3.2 Goblet cell carcinoids 3.3 Treatments 3.3. 1 Monoclonal antibodies 4 History 5 References 6 External links Structure Goblet cells are found scattered among the epithelial lining of organs, such as the intestinal and respiratory tracts. They are found inside the trachea, bronchi, and larger bronchioles in the respiratory tract, small intestines, the large intestine, and conjunctiva in the upper eyelid. In the conjunctiva goblet cells are a source of mucin in tears and they also secrete different types of mucins onto the ocular surface. In the lacrimal glands, mucus is synthesized by acinar cells instead. Microanatomy Goblet cells are simple columnar epithelial cells, having a height of four times that of their width. The cytoplasm of goblet cells tends to be displaced toward the basal end of the cell body by the large mucin granules, which accumulate near the apical surface of the cell along the Golgi apparatus, which lies between the granules and the nucleus. This gives the basal part of the cell a basophilic staining because of nucleic acids within the nucleus and rough endoplasmic reticulum staining with hematoxylin. Mucin within the granules stains pale in routine histology sections, primarily because these carbohydrate - rich proteins are washed out in the preparation of microscopy samples. However, they stain easily with the PAS staining method, which colours them magenta. In mucicarmine stains, deep red mucin is found within goblet cell bodies. Goblet cells can be seen in the examples below as the larger, more pale cells. An intestinal gland from the human intestine with goblet cells visible Goblet cell in ileum Section of mouse intestine, mucus of goblet cells in blue Goblet cells in large intestine Function The main role of goblet cells is to secrete mucus in order to protect the mucous membranes where they are found. Goblet cells accomplish this by secreting mucins, large glycoproteins formed mostly by carbohydrates. The gel - like properties of mucins are given by its glycans ( bound carbohydrates ) attracting relatively large quantities of water. On the inner surface of the human intestine, it forms a 200 μm thick layer ( less in other animals ) that lubricates and protects the wall of the organ. Distinct forms of mucin are produced in different organs : while MUC2 is prevalent in the intestine, MUC5AC and MUC5B are the main forms found in the human airway. In the airway, mucus is swept by the cilia of epithelial cells, and propelled out of the lungs and into the pharynx, which results in the removal of debris and pathogens from the airway. MUC5AC is overexpressed in allergic lung inflammation. Mucins are continuously made and secreted by goblet cells in order to repair and replace the existing mucus layer. Mucins are stored in granules inside the goblet cells before being released to the lumen of the organ. Mucin secretion in the airway may occur via regulated secretion. Secretion may be stimulated by irritants such as dust and smoke, especially in the airway. Other stimuli are microbes such as viruses and bacteria. Anomalies in the number of goblet cell are associated with changes in the secretion of mucins, which can result in many of the abnormalities seen in asthma patients, such as clogged airways due to mucus production, and eventual loss of lung function. Overexpression of MUC5AC alone does not result in the pathophysiology seen in asthma patients ; it is the excessive production along with the speed of secretion that leads to the formation of a thick mucus that can not be removed by cilia or coughing action. This, in addition to airway narrowing leads to the clogging of the airways, which can be detrimental to health if not treated. There are other cells that secrete mucus ( such as the foveolar cells of the stomach ) but these are distinguished histologically from goblet cells. Role in oral tolerance Oral tolerance is the process by which the immune system is prevented from responding to antigen derived from food products, as peptides from food may pass into the bloodstream via the gut, which would in theory lead to an immune response. A paper published in Nature in 2012 has shed some light on the process and implicated goblet cells as having a role in the process. It was known that CD103 - expressing dendritic cells of the lamina propria had a role to play in the induction of oral tolerance ( potentially by inducing the differentiation of regulatory T cells ), and this paper suggests that the goblet cells act to preferentially deliver antigen to these CD103 dendritic cells. Clinical significance Allergic asthma The excessive mucus production seen in allergic asthma patients is due to goblet cell metaplasia, the differentiation of airway epithelial cells into mucin producing goblet cells. These cells produce the thick mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B, which clog the airway, leading to the airflow obstruction characteristic of asthma. Goblet cell metaplasia in allergic asthma is due to the action of the cytokine IL - 13. IL - 13 binds to the IL - 4Rα receptor and initates a STAT6 signalling response. Binding of IL - 13 causes phosphorylation of tyrosine residues at the IL - 4Rα. This results in docking of STAT6 monomers, which themselves are phosphorylated and then subsequently leave the receptor and congregate form STAT6 homodimers in the cytoplasm. These homodimers then enter the nucleus, where they bind to regulatory elements in the DNA, which affects the transcription of certain genes involved in mucus production. Induction of STAT6 signaling by IL - 13 leads to increased of expression of 15 - lipoxygenase ( 15 - LO - 1 ), which is an enzyme involved in the breakdown of unsaturated fatty acids. 15 - lipoxygenase acts by binding to phospholipids and yields hydroperoxy and epoxy metabolites. One such metabolite, 15 - hydroxyeicosatetranoic acid ( 15 - HETE ), is released intracellularly, where it conjugates to phosphatidylethanolamine, a phospholipid component. 15 - HETE - PE induces expression of the mucin MUC5AC. Goblet cell carcinoids Goblet cell carcinoids are a class of rare tumors that form as a result of an excessive proliferation of both goblet and neuroendocrine cells. The majority of these tumors arise in the appendix and may present symptoms similar to the much more common acute appendicitis. The main treatment for localized goblet cells tumors is removal of the appendix, and sometimes removal of the right hemicolon is also performed. Disseminated tumors may require treatment with chemotherapy in addition to surgery. Goblet cells may be an indication of metaplasia, such as in Barrett 's esophagus. Treatments Monoclonal antibodies Studies of mice given monoclonal antibodies for IL - 13 results in decreased expression of goblet cells in asthma patients. Some treatments that use anti-IL - 13 monoclonal antibodies include tralokinumab, and lebrikizumab. These treatments have shown improvements in asthma patients, yet there are still limitations to the use of anti-IL - 13 monoclonal antibodies. Dupilumab is a newer drug that targets the shared receptor of IL - 4 and IL - 13, IL4Rα. Since IL - 4 and IL - 13 have interrelated biological activities, Dupilumab is a more effective form of treatment as it targets both interleukins. History The cells were first noted by Henle in 1837 when studying the lining of the small intestine, seen to be mucus producing by Leydig in 1857 ( who was examining the epidermis of fish ), and were given their name by Schulze in 1867, Schulze chose the descriptive name `` goblet '' because of the shape of the cell, rather than a functional name, as he remained uncertain as to the mucous - producing function of the cell. References ^ Jump up to : Hodges, R.R. ; Dartt, D.A. Conjunctival Goblet Cells. pp. 369 -- 376. doi : 10.1016 / b978 - 0 - 12 - 374203 - 2.00053 - 1. Jump up ^ Lohmann - Matthes, M-L. ; Steinmüller, C. ; Franke - Ullmann, G. ( 1994 ). `` Pulmonary macrophages ''. European Respiratory Journal. 7 ( 9 ) : 1678 -- 1689. doi : 10.1183 / 09031936.94. 07091678. PMID 7995399. Jump up ^ `` goblet cell '' at Dorland 's Medical Dictionary Jump up ^ Guzman - Aranguez, A ; Argüeso, P ( 2010 ). `` Structure and biological roles of mucin - type O - glycans at the ocular surface ''. The Ocular Surface. 8 ( 1 ) : 8 -- 17. doi : 10.1016 / S1542 - 0124 ( 12 ) 70213 - 6. PMC 2847370. PMID 20105403. Jump up ^ Ross M, Pawlina W ( 2011 ). Histology : A Text and Atlas ( 6th ed. ). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 592 -- 593. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7817 - 7200 - 6. Jump up ^ Young B, Woodford P, O'Dowd G ( 2013 ). Wheater 's Functional Histology : A Text and Colour Atlas ( 6th ed. ). Elsevier. p. 94. ISBN 978 - 0702047473. ^ Jump up to : Johansson ME, Sjövall H, Hansson GC ( 2013 ). `` The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease ''. Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 10 ( 6 ) : 352 -- 361. doi : 10.1038 / nrgastro. 2013.35. PMC 3758667. PMID 23478383. Jump up ^ Johansson ME, Hansson GC ( 2013 ). `` Mucus and the Goblet Cell ''. Digestive Diseases. 31 : 305 -- 309. doi : 10.1159 / 000354683. PMC 4282926. PMID 24246979. ^ Jump up to : Rubin BK ( 2013 ). `` Secretion properties, clearance, and therapy in airway disease ''. Translational respiratory medicine. 2 ( 6 ). doi : 10.1186 / 2213 - 0802 - 2 - 6. PMC 4215824. PMID 25505698. ^ Jump up to : Adler, Kenneth Bruce ; Tuvim, Michael J. ; Dickey, Burton F. ( 2013 ). `` Regulated Mucin Secretion from Airway Epithelial Cells ''. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 4. doi : 10.3389 / fendo. 2013.00129. ISSN 1664 - 2392. Jump up ^ Birchenough, G.M.H. ; Johansson, M. Ev ; Gustafsson, J.K. ; Bergström, J.H. ; Hansson, G.C. ( July 2015 ). `` New developments in goblet cell mucus secretion and function ''. Mucosal Immunology. 8 ( 4 ) : 712 -- 719. doi : 10.1038 / mi. 2015.32. ISSN 1933 - 0219. Jump up ^ Histology image : 11303loa from Vaughan, Deborah ( 2002 ). A Learning System in Histology : CD - ROM and Guide. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0195151732. - Digestive System : Alimentary Canal : fundic stomach, gastric glands, lumen '' ^ Jump up to : McDole ; et al. ( 2012 ). `` Goblet cells deliver luminal antigen to CD103+ dendritic cells in the small intestine ''. Nature. 483 ( 7389 ) : 345 -- 349. doi : 10.1038 / nature10863. PMC 3313460. PMID 22422267. ^ Jump up to : Lambrecht, Bart N ; Hammad, Hamida. `` The immunology of asthma ''. Nature Immunology. 16 ( 1 ) : 45 -- 56. doi : 10.1038 / ni. 3049. ^ Jump up to : Kuperman, Douglas A. ; Schleimer, Robert P. ( August 2008 ). `` lnterleukin - 4, lnterleukin - 13, Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription factor 6, and Allergic Asthma ''. Current molecular medicine. 8 ( 5 ) : 384 -- 392. ISSN 1566 - 5240. PMC 4437630. PMID 18691065. ^ Jump up to : Zhao, Jinming ; O'Donnell, Valerie B. ; Balzar, Silvana ; St. Croix, Claudette M. ; Trudeau, John B. ; Wenzel, Sally E. ( 2011 - 08 - 23 ). `` 15 - Lipoxygenase 1 interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine - binding protein to regulate MAPK signaling in human airway epithelial cells ''. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108 ( 34 ) : 14246 -- 14251. doi : 10.1073 / pnas. 1018075108. ISSN 0027 - 8424. PMC 3161579. PMID 21831839. ^ Jump up to : Holt, N ; Grønbæk, H ( 2013 ). `` Goblet cell carcinoids of the appendix ''. The Scientific World Journal. 2013 : 543696. doi : 10.1155 / 2013 / 543696. PMC 3556879. PMID 23365545. Jump up ^ McCusker, ME ; Coté, TR ; Clegg, LX ; Sobin, LH ( 2002 ). `` Primary malignant neoplasms of the appendix : a population - based study from the surveillance, epidemiology and end - results program, 1973 - 1998 ''. Cancer. 94 ( 12 ) : 3307 -- 12. doi : 10.1002 / cncr. 10589. PMID 12115365. Jump up ^ Fouad, YM ; Mostafa, I ; Yehia, R ; El - Khayat, H ( 2014 ). `` Biomarkers of Barrett 's esophagus ''. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology. 5 ( 4 ) : 450 -- 456. doi : 10.4291 / wjgp. v5. i4. 450. PMC 4231509. PMID 25400988. ^ Jump up to : Vatrella, Alessandro ; Fabozzi, Immacolata ; Calabrese, Cecilia ; Maselli, Rosario ; Pelaia, Girolamo ( 2014 - 09 - 04 ). `` Dupilumab : a novel treatment for asthma ''. Journal of Asthma and Allergy. 7 : 123 -- 130. doi : 10.2147 / JAA. S52387. ISSN 1178 - 6965. PMC 4159398. PMID 25214796. Jump up ^ Felts, William J.L. ; Harrison, Richard J. ( 2015 - 08 - 26 ). International Review of General and Experimental Zoology. Elsevier. p. 244. ISBN 9781483224824. ^ Jump up to : `` Chapter IV : The Goblet Cell in General ''. Acta Ophthalmologica. 46 ( S95 ) : 25 -- 35. 1968 - 02 - 01. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1755 - 3768.1968. tb05926. x. ISSN 1755 - 3768. External links Goblet Cells at cvmbs.colostate.edu Physiology of the gastrointestinal system GI tract Upper Exocrine Chief cells Pepsinogen Parietal cells Gastric acid Intrinsic factor Foveolar cells HCO Mucus Goblet cells Mucus Processes Swallowing Vomiting Fluids Saliva Gastric acid Lower Enteric nervous system Submucous plexus Myenteric plexus Endocrine / paracrine G cells gastrin D cells somatostatin ECL cells Histamine enterogastrone : I cells CCK K cells GIP S cells secretin Enteroendocrine cells Enterochromaffin cell APUD cell Fluids Intestinal juice Processes Segmentation contractions Migrating motor complex Borborygmus Defecation Either / both Processes Peristalsis ( Interstitial cell of Cajal Basal electrical rhythm ) Gastrocolic reflex Digestion Accessory Fluids Bile Pancreatic juice Processes Enterohepatic circulation Abdominopelvic Peritoneal fluid Anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract, excluding the mouth Upper Pharynx Muscles Spaces peripharyngeal retropharyngeal parapharyngeal retrovisceral danger prevertebral Pterygomandibular raphe Pharyngeal raphe Buccopharyngeal fascia Pharyngobasilar fascia Piriform sinus Esophagus Sphincters upper lower glands Stomach Curvatures greater lesser Angular incisure Cardia Body Fundus Pylorus antrum canal sphincter Gastric mucosa Gastric folds Microanatomy Gastric pits Gastric glands Cardiac glands Fundic glands Pyloric glands Foveolar cell Parietal cell Gastric chief cell Enterochromaffin - like cell Lower Small intestine Microanatomy Intestinal villus Intestinal gland Enterocyte Enteroendocrine cell Goblet cell Paneth cell Duodenum Suspensory muscle Major duodenal papilla Minor duodenal papilla Duodenojejunal flexure Brunner 's glands Jejunum No substructures Ileum Ileocecal valve Peyer 's patches Microfold cell Large intestine Cecum Appendix Colon Ascending colon Hepatic flexure Transverse colon Splenic flexure Descending colon Sigmoid colon Continuous taenia coli haustra epiploic appendix Rectum Transverse folds Ampulla Anal canal Anus Anal columns Anal valves Anal sinuses Pectinate line Internal anal sphincter Intersphincteric groove External anal sphincter Wall Serosa / Adventitia Subserosa Muscular layer Submucosa Circular folds Mucosa Muscularis mucosa Anatomy of the lower respiratory tract Respiratory tree Trachea Tracheal rings Annular ligaments Carina Bronchi Main left right Secondary eparterial Tertiary Lungs General Landmarks Base Apex Root Hilum Fissures Horizontal Oblique Superior lobe Lingula of left lung Middle lobe of right lung Inferior lobe BP segment Bronchiole : Conducting zone ( Terminal bronchiole ) Respiratory zone ( Respiratory bronchiole Alveolar duct Alveolus Blood - air barrier ) Cells Alveolar cells Type I Type II Club cell Goblet cell Cells in humans derived from endoderm Foregut Respiratory Pneumocyte Type 1 Type 2 Club cell Goblet cell Digestive Stomach Enteroendocrine cell G cell Delta cell Enterochromaffin - like cell Gastric chief cell Parietal cell Foveolar cell Intestine Enteroendocrine cell Gastric inhibitory polypeptide S cell Delta cell Cholecystokinin Goblet cell Paneth cell Tuft cell Enterocyte Microfold cell Liver Hepatocyte Hepatic stellate cell ( Kupffer cell from mesoderm ) Gallbladder Cholecystocyte Exocrine pancreas Centroacinar cell Pancreatic stellate cell Islets of Langerhans alpha cell beta cell delta cell F cell ( PP cell epsilon cell Pharyngeal pouch Thyroid gland Follicular cell Parathyroid gland Parathyroid chief cell Oxyphil cell Hindgut / cloaca Urothelial cells Biology portal Medicine portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goblet_cell&oldid=813775994 '' Categories : Mucus secreting cells Epithelial cells Human cells Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Galego Italiano Қазақша Latviešu Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 5 December 2017, at 05 : 16. 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Question: the function of the goblet cells is to
Answer: secrete gel-forming mucins