Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 284, Issue 1, Pages C220-C232Publisher
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00374.2001
Keywords
chloride channels, vacuolar H+-ATPase, principal cells, clear cells; laser capture microdissection
Categories
Funding
- NICHD NIH HHS [HD 40793] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDDK NIH HHS [DK 38452, DK 57521, DK 43351] Funding Source: Medline
- EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT [R01HD040793] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES [P01DK038452, P30DK057521, P30DK043351] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Epithelial cells of the epididymis and vas deferens establish an optimum luminal environment in which spermatozoa mature and are stored. This is achieved by active transepithelial transport of various ions including Cl- and H+. We investigated the localization of three closely related members of the ClC family, ClC-3, ClC-4, and ClC-5, in the epididymis and vas deferens. RT-PCR using mRNA isolated by laser capture microdissection (LCM)-detected ClC-3 and ClC-5 transcripts but did not detect any ClC-4-specific transcript. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that ClC-3 and ClC-5 proteins are present in all regions of the epididymis and in the vas deferens. ClC-5 is expressed exclusively in H+-ATPase-rich cells (narrow and clear cells). Confocal microscopy showed that ClC-5 partially colocalizes with the H+-ATPase in the subapical pole of clear cells. ClC-3 is strongly expressed in the apical membrane of principal cells of the caput epididymidis and the vas deferens and is less abundant in principal cells of the body and cauda epididymidis. These findings are consistent with a potential role for ClC-3 in transepithelial chloride transport by principal cells and for ClC-5 in the acidification of H+-ATPase-containing vesicles in narrow and clear cells. ClC-5 might facilitate endosome trafficking in the epididymis, as has been proposed in the kidney.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available