Goblet cells are luminal cells of the epithelium secreting mucus. These have been termed bronchial goblet cells because they express MUC5AC as secreting mucin, and but also MUC5B in some of goblet cells which can be found at the surface epithelium pulmonary airways.
They can also be distinguished from nasal goblet cells by the absence of expression of nasal developmental origin genes such as SIX3, PAX7, OTX2.
