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Updated: May 15, 2026

Assessing the Secretory Capacity of Pancreatic Acinar Cells
Published on: August 28, 2014
Antigen-presenting cells in parotid glands contain cystatin D originating from acinar cells
Tomoko Nashida1, Ritsuko Sato, Maiko Haga-Tsujimura
1Department of Biochemistry, The Nippon Dental University, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, 1-8 Hamaura-cho, Niigata 951-8580, Japan. nashida@ngt.ndu.ac.jp
Abstract:
Cystatin D encoded by Cst5 is a salivary classified type II cystatin. We investigated the dynamism of cystatin D by examining the distribution of cystatin D protein and mRNA in rats, to identify novel functions. The simultaneous expression of Cst5 and cystatin D was observed in parotid glands, however in situ hybridization showed that only acinar cells produced cystatin D. Synthesized cystatin D was localized in small vesicles and secreted from the apical side to the saliva, and from the basolateral side to the extracellular region, a second secretory pathway for cystatin D. We also identified antigen-presenting cells in the parotid glands that contained cystatin D without the expression of Cst5, indicating the uptake of cystatin D from the extracellular region. Cystatin D was detected in blood serum and renal tubular cells with megalin, indicating the circulation of cystatin D through the body and uptake by renal tubular cells. Thus, the novel dynamism of cystatin D was shown and a function for cystatin D in the regulation of antigen-presenting cell activity was proposed.
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