{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nZG16 is a secretory, lectin‐like glycoprotein primarily involved in the maintenance of the intestinal mucus barrier. It binds to and aggregates Gram‐positive bacteria through recognition of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan, thereby preventing bacteria from penetrating the dense, inner mucus layer and reaching the colonic epithelium. In ZG16-deficient models, the mucus remains of normal thickness yet is more penetrable, allowing bacteria to approach the epithelial cells and translocate to systemic sites, a process that is linked to increased abdominal fat accumulation and inflammation."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "In the pancreas, ZG16 (referred to as ZG-16p) is normally expressed in acinar cells and is part of the secretory machinery. However, during pancreatic injury induced by supraphysiologic doses of cerulein, its expression is sharply down-regulated, in contrast to the up-regulation of cytoprotective factors like SPINK3. This selective regulation suggests that, under conditions of stress, the loss of ZG16 may contribute to impaired zymogen processing and diminished cellular function as acinar cells embark on a self-preservation program."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "Beyond these roles in the gastrointestinal and pancreatic systems, ZG16 is essential in modulating the immune response and maintaining mucosal homeostasis. In a knockout mouse model, deletion of ZG16 not only compromised the colonic barrier—facilitating low-level chronic inflammation and increasing susceptibility to ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer—but also altered the profile of fecal metabolites, which in turn appeared to influence pulmonary immune responses in models of bronchial asthma. These findings collectively underscore ZG16’s pivotal function in inhibiting inflammation and orchestrating host-microbiota communication across multiple organ systems."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Joakim H Bergström, George M H Birchenough, Gergely Katona, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Gram-positive bacteria are held at a distance in the colon mucus by the lectin-like protein ZG16."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2016)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1073/pnas.1611400113"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1611400113"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "27849619"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27849619"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Brent A Neuschwander-Tetri, Claus J Fimmel, Raleigh D Kladney, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Differential expression of the trypsin inhibitor SPINK3 mRNA and the mouse ortholog of secretory granule protein ZG-16p mRNA in the mouse pancreas after repetitive injury."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Pancreas (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1097/00006676-200405000-00022"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1097/00006676-200405000-00022"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15097871"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15097871"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Xinping Chen, Yixin Chen, Ying Zhang, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "ZG16 impacts gut microbiota-associated intestinal inflammation and pulmonary mucosal function through bacterial metabolites."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int Immunopharmacol (2024)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112995"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112995"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "39191121"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39191121"}]}]}]}