title: Cellular function and control of volume-regulated anion channels.
abstract: Restoration of cell volume after cell swelling in mammalian cells is achieved by the loss of solutes (K+, Cl-, and organic osmolytes) and the subsequent osmotically driven efflux of water. This process is generally known as regulatory volume decrease (RVD). One pathway for the swelling induced loss of Cl- (and also organic osmolytes) during RVD is the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). In this review, we discuss the physiological role and cellular control of VRAC. We will first highlight evidence that VRAC is more than a volume regulator and that it participates in other fundamental cellular processes such as cell proliferation and apoptosis. The second part concentrates on the Rho/Rho kinase/myosin phosphorylation cascade and on compartmentalization in caveolae as modulators of the signal transduction cascade that controls VRAC gating in vascular endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Jan.Eggermont@med.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggermont
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trouet
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carton
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nilius
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions; D017209:Apoptosis; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002713:Chlorine / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D007473:Ion Channels; D014443:Tyrosine; D002713:Chlorine; D009218:Myosins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins