Abstract
It is well established that vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT) is responsible for vesicular storage of nucleotides such as ATP, and that VNUT-expressing cells can secrete nucleotides upon exocytosis, playing an important role in purinergic chemical transmission. In the present study, we show that VNUT is expressed in intestinal L cells. Immunohistochemical evidence indicated that VNUT is present in glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) containing cells in rat intestine. VNUT immunoreactivity is not co-localized with GLP-1, a marker for secretory granules, and synaptophysin, a marker for synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs). Essentially the same results were obtained for GLUTag clonal L cells. Sucrose density gradient analysis confirmed that VNUT is present the light fraction, unlike secretory granules. These results demonstrate that intestinal L cells express VNUT in either the unidentified organelles at light density other than secretory granules and SLMVs or a subpopulation of SLMVs, and suggest that L cells are purinergic in nature and secrete nucleotides independent of GLP-1 secretion.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1090-1095 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2014 |
Keywords
- ATP
- L cell
- Purinergic transmission
- Vesicular nucleotide transporter
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Pharmaceutical Science