The Hagfish Slime Gland: A Model System for Studying the Biology of Mucus

The hagfish slime gland may provide a model system for studying certain aspects of the biology of mucus. Mucus is obtained in nonhydrated form by electrically stimulating the anesthetized hagfish and the secretions are stirred into ammonium sulfate. Centrifugation and filtration are than used to isolate the two major secretory products, mucous vesicles and threads. Specific advantages of the model and potential applications for research are discussed.