GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:7508

MUC1

mucin 1, cell surface associated

protein-coding gene1q22Gene information

What does this gene do?

The MUC1 gene provides instructions for making a protein called mucin 1. This protein is one of several mucin proteins that make up mucus, a slippery substance that lubricates and protects the lining of the airways, digestive system, reproductive system, and other organs and tissues. In addition to its role in mucus, mucin 1 is involved in cell signaling and kidney development.

Although most mucin proteins are released from the cell, mucin 1 spans the cell membrane. It is found in epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the surfaces and cavities of the body. In particular, mucin 1 is found in the respiratory tract, female reproductive organs, and gastrointestinal tract. Like other mucins, mucin 1 has a region called the mucin domain that contains repeated stretches of protein building blocks (amino acids); the number of repeats can vary from 20 to 100. This protein is modified by the addition of numerous chains of sugar molecules, which are attached to certain amino acids in the mucin domain. The sugars spread out from the protein like branches on a tree and prevent access to the cell surface below, protecting the body from foreign invaders. The sugars also attract water molecules, helping lubricate and hydrate the tissues.

The portion of mucin 1 that reaches inside the cell, called the cytoplasmic tail (or MUC1-CT), relays signals from outside the cell to the cell's nucleus; these signals instruct the cell to undergo certain changes. Through this process, mucin 1 is thought to be involved in cell growth and division (proliferation), helping cells stick to one another (cell adhesion), cell movement (motility), and cell survival. The cytoplasmic tail can also detach from the cell membrane and move to the nucleus, although the mechanism is unclear. Some researchers suggest that, in the nucleus, MUC1-CT helps control the activity of other genes. In addition, mucin 1 is present in cells that form the kidneys and is thought to play a role in development of these organs.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2020-08-18. Source review: 2013-06.

ClinGen reviews

ClinGen reviews the evidence linking a particular gene to a condition. Each rating below describes the strength of that link. It does not classify a variant in your DNA file.

Condition	Inheritance	Evidence
tubulointerstitial kidney disease, autosomal dominant, 2MONDO:0020726 · Evaluated 2021-01-13	Autosomal dominant	DefinitiveKidney Cystic and Ciliopathy Disorders Gene Curation Expert Panel

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles: 200
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene: 235
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene: 193
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic: 9
VariationIDs with uncertain significance: 109
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications: 4

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about MUC1?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 9 alleles in MUC1 reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in MUC1.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

Buy BioDecode See a sample report →Check file compatibility →