NKCC1 cotransporters: keeping an 'ion' them

摘要

The sodium-potassium-chloride cotrans-porter NKCC1 has a track record of bringing the ions it is named after into the cell. But recently, scientists discovered that the cotransporter brings a substantial amount of water into the cell as well. In a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology, Hamann et al. (2010) analysed cell volumes of human pigmented epithelial cells from the ciliary body of the eye, which contain NKCC1 at high levels, which pumps sodium, postassium and chloride into the cell. This epithelium produces the aqueous humour that is responsible for the maintenance of proper intra-ocular pressure and is the only nourishment of the cornea and lens.