Clara cell impact in air-side activation of CFTR in small pulmonary airways.

ABSTRACT: The Clara cells are nonciliated, nonmucous, secretory cells containing characteristic peptidergic granules; they constitute up to 80% of the epithelial cell population of the distal airways. Despite this exposed histotopology and abundance within the terminal airways where fluid secretion is of pivotal importance, the functional role of the Clara cells remained poorly understood. At the transcriptional, translational, and cellular levels, we provide evidence that the Clara cells are well equipped with the bioactive peptide guanylin and proteins of the cGMP-signaling system including guanylate cyclase C, cGMP-dependent protein kinase II, and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) together with the two CFTR scaffolding proteins EBP50/NHERF and E3KARP/NHERF-2 that are esse

SUBMITTER: Kulaksiz H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC124482 | biostudies-literature | 2002 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature