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Mechanosensitive release of 5-HT from specialized intestinal epithelial cells

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 20, page 4 (2023)Cite this article

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Studying a low-abundance ion channel expressed in a low-abundance cell is a dilemma that no biologist wants to encounter. As I began my first year of postdoc, I faced the challenge of using patch clamp to study this rare, tiny cell — known as the enterochromaffin cell — and the mechanisms behind its mechanosensitivity.

I first came across the work of Edith Bülbring during a meeting with my postdoctoral mentor, who always acknowledged her studies as critical to our current understanding of pressure-induced release of serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) from enterochromaffin cells. These cells had been shown to produce and release upwards of 90% of the body’s 5-HT.

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References

Original article

  • Bülbring, E. & Crema, A. The release of 5-hydroxytryptamine in relation to pressure exerted on the intestinal mucosa. J. Physiol. 146, 18–28 (1959)

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Related articles

  • Bülbring, E. & Lin, R. C. Y. The effect of intraluminal application of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan on peristalsis; the local production of 5-HT and its release in relation to intraluminal pressure and propulsive activity. J. Physiol. 140, 381–407 (1958)

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  • Vane, J. R. A sensitive method for the assay of 5-hydroxytryptamine. Br. J. Pharmacol. Chemother. 12, 344–349 (1957)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Constanza Alcaino

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  1. Constanza Alcaino
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Correspondence to Constanza Alcaino.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Alcaino, C. Mechanosensitive release of 5-HT from specialized intestinal epithelial cells. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 20, 4 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-022-00712-9

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