Abstract
Gap junction channels are regarded as a primary pathway for intercellular message transfer, including calcium wave propagation. Our study identified two gap junctional proteins, connexin26 and connexin32, in rat gastric glands by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence. We demonstrated a potential physiological role of the gap junctional channels in the acid secretory process using the calcium indicator fluo-3, and microinjection of Lucifer Yellow. Application of gastrin (10-7 M) to the basolateral membrane resulted in the induction of uniphasic calcium signals in adjacent parietal cells. In addition, single parietal cell microinjections in intact glands with the cell-impermeant dye Lucifer Yellow resulted in a transfer of dye from the injected cell to the adjacent parietal cell following gastrin stimulation, demonstrating gastrin-induced cell-to-cell communication. Both calcium wave propagation and Lucifer Yellow transfer were blocked by the gap junction inhibitor 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid. Our studies demonstrate that functional gap junction channels in gastric glands provide an effective means for rapid cell-to-cell communication and allow for the rapid onset of acid secretion.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 147-153 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Membrane Biology |
Volume | 183 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2001 |
Keywords
- Calcium signaling
- Cell-to-cell communication
- Intracellular calcium
- Lucifer Yellow
- Parietal cells
- Stomach
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Physiology
- Cell Biology