Mucin 7, Secreted (MUC7)

The MUC7 gene encodes a small salivary mucin, which is thought to function in a protective capacity by promoting the clearance of bacteria in the oral cavity and to aid in mastication, speech, and swallowing.Bobek et al. (1996) found that the MUC7 gene spans approximately 10 kb and comprises 3 exons and 2 introns. Intron 1 is approximately 1.7 kb long and is located in the 5-prime untranslated region of the MUC7 cDNA.

Intron 2 spans approximately 6 kb and is located close to the boundary of the putative liter peptide and secreted protein. The entire region encoding the secreted peptide is located on exon 3, spanning approximately 2.2 kb.Bobek et al. (1993) described the isolation and characterization of overlapping cDNA clones that code for the low molecular weight glycoprotein core.