Abstract
The parietal cell of the gastric gland is a highly differentiated cell responsible for the gastric hydrochloric acid secretion into the lumen of the stomach. In response to stimulation of acid secretion, the parietal cells undergo well-characterized morphological transformations to recruit H+/K+-ATPase from the cytoplasmic tubulovesicles to the apical canalicular membrane. Besides H+ extrusion via H+/K+-ATPase, Cl− efflux and K+ recycling across the apical canalicular membrane are necessary via chloride and potassium channels/transporters, respectively. In the last decade, a number of molecular candidates for the Cl− efflux and K+ recycling have been identified in the apical canalicular membrane of the parietal cell. This review focuses on the functional transformation of gastric parietal cells and intracellular trafficking of ion channels/transporters expressed in the apical canalicular membrane associated with gastric acid secretion.
