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Published on: May 18, 2021
Aquaporin-9 is expressed in a mucus-secreting goblet cell subset in the small intestine
Shinji Okada1, Takumi Misaka, Ichiro Matsumoto
1Laboratory 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.
Abstract:
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.
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