Biomaterial Database

[Transepithelial transport of glucose]. 1998

K Takata

Department of Cell Biology, Gunma University, Japan.

Epithelia serve as barriers among various compartments in the body. Transepithelial transport of glucose across the barrier epithelial layer is mediated by membrane proteins called glucose transporters. Two types of glucose transporters have been identified: Na(+)-dependent glucose cotransporters (SGLT family), and facilitated-diffusion glucose transporters (GLUT family). These transporters play important roles in the sugar absorption in the intestinal epithelium, sugar reabsorption in the kidney tubule cells, and transfer of glucose across the blood-tissue barriers. In addition to glucose transporters, connexins of gap junctions mediate the transfer of glucose in the double-epithelial cell layer found in the ciliary body and the rat placenta. Polarized localization of transporters and connexins is the structural basis of the vectorial transfer of sugars across the barrier epithelial cell layers. Various techniques of molecular and cell biology have been applied to elucidate the molecular mechanism of such polarized localization.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007365	Intercellular Junctions	Direct contact of a cell with a neighboring cell. Most such junctions are too small to be resolved by light microscopy, but they can be visualized by conventional or freeze-fracture electron microscopy, both of which show that the interacting CELL MEMBRANE and often the underlying CYTOPLASM and the intervening EXTRACELLULAR SPACE are highly specialized in these regions. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p792)	Cell Junctions,Cell Junction,Intercellular Junction,Junction, Cell,Junction, Intercellular,Junctions, Cell,Junctions, Intercellular
D007413	Intestinal Mucosa	Lining of the INTESTINES, consisting of an inner EPITHELIUM, a middle LAMINA PROPRIA, and an outer MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE. In the SMALL INTESTINE, the mucosa is characterized by a series of folds and abundance of absorptive cells (ENTEROCYTES) with MICROVILLI.	Intestinal Epithelium,Intestinal Glands,Epithelium, Intestinal,Gland, Intestinal,Glands, Intestinal,Intestinal Gland,Mucosa, Intestinal
D007668	Kidney	Body organ that filters blood for the secretion of URINE and that regulates ion concentrations.	Kidneys
D009004	Monosaccharide Transport Proteins	A large group of membrane transport proteins that shuttle MONOSACCHARIDES across CELL MEMBRANES.	Hexose Transport Proteins,Band 4.5 Preactin,Erythrocyte Band 4.5 Protein,Glucose Transport-Inducing Protein,Hexose Transporter,4.5 Preactin, Band,Glucose Transport Inducing Protein,Preactin, Band 4.5,Proteins, Monosaccharide Transport,Transport Proteins, Hexose,Transport Proteins, Monosaccharide,Transport-Inducing Protein, Glucose
D004848	Epithelium	The layers of EPITHELIAL CELLS which cover the inner and outer surfaces of the cutaneous, mucus, and serous tissues and glands of the body.	Mesothelium,Epithelial Tissue,Mesothelial Tissue,Epithelial Tissues,Mesothelial Tissues,Tissue, Epithelial,Tissue, Mesothelial,Tissues, Epithelial,Tissues, Mesothelial
D005947	Glucose	A primary source of energy for living organisms. It is naturally occurring and is found in fruits and other parts of plants in its free state. It is used therapeutically in fluid and nutrient replacement.	Dextrose,Anhydrous Dextrose,D-Glucose,Glucose Monohydrate,Glucose, (DL)-Isomer,Glucose, (alpha-D)-Isomer,Glucose, (beta-D)-Isomer,D Glucose,Dextrose, Anhydrous,Monohydrate, Glucose
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001693	Biological Transport, Active	The movement of materials across cell membranes and epithelial layers against an electrochemical gradient, requiring the expenditure of metabolic energy.	Active Transport,Uphill Transport,Active Biological Transport,Biologic Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biological,Active Biologic Transport,Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biologic,Transport, Uphill
D017629	Gap Junctions	Connections between cells which allow passage of small molecules and electric current. Gap junctions were first described anatomically as regions of close apposition between cells with a narrow (1-2 nm) gap between cell membranes. The variety in the properties of gap junctions is reflected in the number of CONNEXINS, the family of proteins which form the junctions.	Gap Junction,Junction, Gap,Junctions, Gap