Aquaporin-9 is expressed in a mucus-secreting goblet cell subset in the small intestine.
We analyzed the expression of aquaporins (AQPs) in the small intestine to elucidate their functions, and found that AQP9, which had not previously been detected there, is present in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. AQP9 is expressed in colon as well, but not in stomach. Also, its expression in these intestinal sections is limited to the basolateral membranes of a goblet cell subset. Our finding that AQP9 is present specifically in goblet cells as mucus-secreting cells suggests its involvement in the synthesis and/or secretion of a certain kind of mucus which may protect the intestinal surface and smooth the flow of intestinal contents.
Okada
Shinji
S
Laboratory of Biological Function, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Misaka
Takumi
T
Matsumoto
Ichiro
I
Watanabe
Hirohito
H
Abe
Keiko
K
D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
C491638:Aqp9 protein, mouse; D020346:Aquaporins; D017931:DNA Primers