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Volume 9, Issue 4 (July 2007) 9, 476–782; 10.1111/j.1745-7262.2007.00299.x
Regulation of vacuolar proton pumping ATPase-dependent luminal acidification in the epididymis
Nicolas Da Silva, Winnie W C Shum and Sylvie Breton
1.Program in Membrane Biology/Nephrology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
2.Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Correspondence: Dr Sylvie Breton, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Center, Program in Membrane Biology, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN 8204, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Fax: +1-617-643-3182. E-mail: sbreton@receptor.mgh.harvard.edu
| Abstract |
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Luminal acidification in the epididymis is an important process for the regulation of male fertility. Low pH and low bicarbonate concentration are among key factors that keep spermatozoa in a dormant state while they mature and are stored in this organ. Although significant bicarbonate reabsorption is achieved by principal cells in the proximal regions of the epididymis, clear and narrow cells are specialized for net proton secretion. Clear cells express very high levels of the vacuolar proton pumping ATPase (V-ATPase) in their apical membrane and are responsible for the bulk of proton secretion. In the present paper, selected aspects of V-ATPase regulation in clear cells are described and potential pathologies associated with mutations of some of the V-ATPase subunits are discussed.
Keywords: proton pump, H+-ATPase, clear cells, bicarbonate resorption
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