Table 1.
Characteristics of neutral and acidic goblet cells a .
| Neutral goblet cells | Acidic goblet cells | |
|---|---|---|
| Mucin structure | Large glycoproteins containing extensive amounts of oligosaccharide chains attached to protein core | |
| Mucin O-glycan composition | Heterogenous arrangement of monosaccharides including GluNAc, GalNAc, galactose, fucose, sialic acid and mannose | |
| Terminal end of O-glycan | Predominant in neutral charged monosaccharides e.g. GluNAc, GalNAc, galactose, fucose and mannose | Predominant in negatively charged monosaccharides e.g. sialic acid and/or sulfated groups |
| The overall charge of mucins | Neutral charge | Negative charge |