Analyses of functional the micro-platform mediating K^+ and water transport

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Brain astroglial cells uptake excess extracellular K^+, which is induced by neural activity, and excrete it to blood vessels. This unidirectional K^+-transport is called "K^+-buffering" and accompanied with water movement. These two transports are respectively mediated by a K^+ channel, Kir4.1, and a water channel, AQP4, both of which occur together on the same membrane domain of the astroglial cells. In this study, we have found that Kir4.1 and AQP4 are expressed and functioned at the different micro-platforms containing distinct types of lipids. Furthermore, certain population of these two platforms is localized at the close vicinity, which would be involved in the coupling between K^+ and water transports across the astroglial cells.