Function of K⁺-Cl⁻ cotransporters in the acid secretory mechanism of gastric parietal cells.

Gastric proton pump (H⁺, K⁺-ATPase) secretes H⁺ of acid (HCl) via the luminal membrane of parietal cells. For the HCl secretion, Cl⁻- and K⁺-transporting proteins are required. Recent our studies have demonstrated that K⁺-Cl⁻ cotransporters (KCC3a and KCC4) are expressed in gastric parietal cells. KCC3a is associated with Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase in the basolateral membrane, and KCC4 is associated with H⁺, K⁺-ATPase in the apical canalicular membrane. This paper summarizes the functional association between KCCs and P-type ATPases and the contribution of these complexes to acid secretion in gastric parietal cells.