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Aquaporin‐9 is expressed in a mucus‐secreting goblet cell subset in the small intestine
Author(s) -
Okada Shinji,
Misaka Takumi,
Matsumoto Ichiro,
Watanabe Hirohito,
Abe Keiko
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00256-4
Subject(s) - mucus , goblet cell , ileum , jejunum , secretion , duodenum , aquaporin , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , small intestine , stomach , epithelium , chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , ecology , genetics
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.