Outwardly rectifying chloride channels and CF: a divorce and remarriage

Outwardly rectifying Cl- channels were originally thought to be the central element in cystic fibrosis. The role of these channels in CF was questioned to such an extent that doubts were raised about the validity of the original experiments. Recent data reestablishes a role for outwardly rectifying Cl- channels (ORCC) in CF and suggests that the protein encoded by the CF gene, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), can effect the regulation of more than one channel in the airway. This minireview deals with the rise, fall, and resurrection of the role of outwardly rectifying Cl- channels in CF.