Chloride Channels along the Nephron

This chapter discusses a synopsis of the mechanisms of Cl⁻ transport in specialized renal cell types, such as mesangial cells and macula densa (MD) cells, nephron segments, such as proximal tubule (PT), thick ascending limb (TAL), cortical collecting duct (CCD), and, in a few examples, cell culture models of renal ion transport, such as the Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and Xenopus kidney cell line (A6) cells. Each part of the chapter discusses specific cell types or segments of the nephron. The chapter describes the Cl⁻ channels characterized by single channel patch-clamp methods in specialized cells associated with the glomerulus, in epithelial cells along the entire length of the nephron and in cell lines used as models of renal epithelial Cl⁻ transport. It is evident from the discussion that although many studies have characterized the properties of individual channels along the nephron, the distribution, the functional roles, the regulation, and the molecular properties of Cl channels in the kidney are still not understood.