Physiological roles of chloride ions in bodily and cellular functions.

Physiological roles of Cl, a major anion in the body, are not well known compared with those of cations. This review article introduces: (1) roles of Cl in bodily and cellular functions; (2) the range of cytosolic Cl concentration ([Cl]); (3) whether [Cl] could change with cell volume change under an isosmotic condition; (4) whether [Cl] could change under conditions where multiple Cl transporters and channels contribute to Cl influx and efflux in an isosmotic state; (5) whether the change in [Cl] could be large enough to act as signals; (6) effects of Cl on cytoskeletal tubulin polymerization through inhibition of GTPase activity and tubulin polymerization-dependent biological activity; (7) roles of cytosolic Cl in cell proliferation; (8) Cl-regulatory mechanisms of ciliary motility; (9) roles of Cl in sweet/umami taste receptors; (10) Cl-regulatory mechanisms of with-no-lysine kinase (WNK); (11) roles of Cl in regulation of epithelial Na transport; (12) relationship between roles of Cl and H in body functions.

© 2023. The Author(s).