Materials Science and Engineering of Mucin: A New Aspect of Mucin Chemistry

Abstract The recent discovery of a novel mucin (qniumucin or Q-mucin in short) in jellyfish provides us with an opportunity to establish general protocols for producing designer mucins whose structures are designed to exhibit desired functions. Mucins are an important category of glycoproteins whose industrial production as a well-defined material has never been realized to date. Although recent progress in carbohydrate science indicates that the general use of mucins will lead to the development of many efficient techniques with medical, hygiene, and pharmacological applications, research on the material science of mucins themselves (mucin chemistry) has been significantly delayed owing to difficulties in the handlings of this particular substance. In the present review, we start with the analysis of the present status of mucin science and the related technologies to figure out a roadmap toward the free production of designer mucins. On the basis of the result of this assessment, we recommend the utilization of Q-mucin, that is, an ideal substance, as the starting material for this purpose. Our finding of a novel natural material may open up a new aspect of mucin chemistry.