The Muc2 mucin coats murine Paneth cell granules and facilitates their content release and dispersion

Paneth cells are a key subset of secretory epithelial cells found at the base of small intestinal crypts. Unlike intestinal goblet cells, which secrete the mucin Muc2, Paneth cells are best known for producing an array of antimicrobial factors. We unexpectedly identified Muc2 staining localized around Paneth cell granules. Electron microscopy (EM) confirmed an electron lucent halo around these granules, which was lost in Paneth cells from Muc2-deficient (^−/−) mice. EM and immunostaining for lysozyme revealed that Muc2^−/− Paneth cells contained larger, more densely packed granules within their cytoplasm, and we detected defects in the transcription of key antimicrobial genes in the ileal tissues of Muc2^−/− mice. Enteroids derived from the small intestine of wild-type and Muc2^−/− mice revealed phenotypic differences in Paneth cells similar to those seen in vivo. Moreover, lysozyme-containing granule release from Muc2^−/− enteroid Paneth cells was shown to be impaired. Surprisingly, Paneth cells within human ileal and duodenal tissues were found to be Muc2 negative. Thus Muc2 plays an important role in murine Paneth cells, suggesting links in function with goblet cells; however human Paneth cells lack Muc2, highlighting that caution should be applied when linking murine to human Paneth cell functions.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate for the first time that murine Paneth cell granules possess a halo comprised of the mucin Muc2. The presence of Muc2 exerts an impact on Paneth cell granule size and number and facilitates the release and dispersal of antimicrobials into the mucus layer. Interestingly, despite the importance of Muc2 in murine Paneth cell function, our analysis of Muc2 in human intestinal tissues revealed no trace of Muc2 expression by human Paneth cells.