First published online May 15, 2009
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 1731-1744 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.029306
Epithelial ultrastructure and cellular mechanisms of acid and base transport in the Drosophila midgut
Shubha Shanbhag and
Subrata Tripathi*
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005,
India
*
Author for correspondence (e-mail:
tripathi{at}tifr.res.in)
Accepted 16 March 2009
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Summary
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There is a resurgence of interest in the Drosophila midgut on
account of its potential value in understanding the structure, development and
function of digestive organs and related epithelia. The recent identification
of regenerative or stem cells in the adult gut of Drosophila has
opened up new avenues for understanding development and turnover of cells in
insect and mammalian gastrointestinal tracts. Conversely, the physiology of
the Drosophila gut is less well understood as it is a difficult
epithelial preparation to study under controlled conditions. Recent progress
in microperfusion of individual segments of the Drosophila midgut, in
both larval and adult forms, has enabled ultrastructural and
electrophysiological study and preliminary characterization of cellular
transport processes in the epithelium. As larvae are more active feeders, the
transport rates are higher than in adults. The larval midgut has at least
three segments: an anterior neutral zone, a short and narrow acid-secreting
middle segment and a long and wider posterior segment (which is the best
studied) that secretes base (probably HCO3–) into
the lumen. The posterior midgut has a lumen-negative transepithelial potential
(35–45 mV) and a high resistance (800–1400
.cm2)
that correlates with little or no lateral intercellular volume. The primary
transport system driving base secretion into the lumen appears to be a
bafilomycin-A1-sensitive, electrogenic H+ V-ATPase
located on the basal membrane, which extrudes acid into the haemolymph, as
inferred from the extracellular pH gradients detected adjacent to the basal
membrane. The adult midgut is also segmented (as inferred from longitudinal
gradients of pH dye-indicators in the lumen) into anterior, middle and
posterior regions. The anterior segment is probably absorptive. The middle
midgut secretes acid (pH<4.0), a process dependent on a
carbonic-anhydrase-catalysed H+ pool. Cells of the middle segment
are alternately absorptive (apically amplified by
9-fold, basally
amplified by >90-fold) and secretory (apically amplified by >90-fold and
basally by
10-fold). Posterior segment cells have an extensively dilated
basal extracellular labyrinth, with a volume larger than that of anterior
segment cells, indicating more fluid reabsorption in the posterior segment.
The luminal pH of anterior and posterior adult midgut is 7–9. These
findings in the larval and adult midgut open up the possibility of determining
the role of plasma membrane transporters and channels involved in driving not
only H+ fluxes but also secondary fluxes of other solutes and water
in Drosophila.
Key words: stereology, microperfusion, H+ V-ATPase, carbonic anhydrase, ion-selective microelectrodes, SIET, H+ gradients, surface pH
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Introduction
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The insect gut carries out some of the most vital functions of nutrition
and solute and water balance of the organism. It is the first line of defence
against ingested pathogens and also the portal of entry of viruses and
parasites for which insect species are major vectors. The gut epithelium, with
its luminal contents, has a fascinating dynamic structure and nutrient
circulation pattern, the importance of which is not completely understood. The
diet of insects is of such wide variety in terms of texture, composition,
fluidity and mechanical properties, from liquid plant sap to solid bark, from
whole blood to decomposing insects, that the digestive system of each insect,
in larval or adult form, male or female, appears specialized in overall
structure and in biochemical machinery to handle its staple ingested material.
The uptake of solutes and water by the gut is also vital for the maintenance
of the composition, pH and osmolarity of the haemolymph within a permissible
range. However, the integrated role of segments of the gut (midgut and
hindgut) and the Malpighian tubules in overall fluid and electrolyte balance
is far from clear in most insects. Whereas fluid secretion and excretion of
normal nitrogenous metabolic end-products, toxins, pesticides, etc. by
Malpighian tubules have been studied extensively
(Beyenbach, 2001
;
Dow et al., 1997
;
Dow and Davies, 2001
;
Maddrell and O'Donnell, 1992
;
O'Donnell and Spring, 2000
),
the midgut and hindgut of most species have not been as amenable to study,
possibly on account of their musculature.
Insect organs such as the midgut are appealing as the epithelium is
single-layered and the number and type of cells are limited. This permits
in vitro physiological studies with excellent control of key
variables: (1) solution composition at the apical or basal surfaces with
minimum diffusion barriers, (2) hydrostatic pressure, particularly across the
intercellular septa or tight-junctions, and (3) electrical potential
(Tripathi and Boulpaep, 1989
).
Furthermore, the cells should be accessible with conventional and
ion-selective microelectrodes, which permit evaluation of the cellular
handling of ingested primary electrolytes such as K+,
Na+, H+, Cl–,
HCO3–, and possible organic substrates
co-transported with these ions, and also patch-clamp and fluorescence studies
of the cytosol. Combined with other studies such as imaging of transparent gut
structures with pH-indicator dyes, localization of membrane transport proteins
with fluorescent-labelled antibodies, and scanning of extracellular fluid
adjacent to individual cells for ion gradients (the SIET technique), it is
possible to get valuable information on the functional organization of the
gut, its developmental changes and its ultrastructural design
(Boudko et al., 2001a
;
Onken et al., 2006
).

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Fig. 1. (A) Drawing of larval midgut of Drosophila melanogaster showing
various segments and the intraluminal pH zones. The luminal content of the
anterior segment and the anterior part of the posterior segment is between
neutral to mild alkalinity (pH>7 and <8; green), the middle segment is
highly acidic (pH<3.0; magenta dots) and the posterior part of the
posterior segment is highly alkaline (pH>10; blue dots). GC, gastric caeca;
HG, hindgut; MT, Malpighian tubules. (B) Schematic representation of a
cross-section of the posterior region of the larval posterior midgut showing
the arrangement of peritrophic membrane (magenta), epithelial cells (black),
basement membrane (green), muscle fibres (red), regenerative cells or stem
cells (light blue, marked S) and serosal barrier (brown). (C) General
organization of two adjacent epithelial cells, lateral dimensions compressed.
Colour coding is the same as in B. The arrow denotes very small lateral
intercellular spaces. BEL, basal extracellular labyrinth; BM, basement
membrane; CM, circular muscle; JC, junctional complex; LIS, lateral
intracellular septum; LM, longitudinal muscle; M, mitochondria; MV,
microvilli; N, nucleus; PM, peritrophic membrane; SB, serosal barrier; T,
tracheole.
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Fig. 2. Unperfused larval posterior midgut. (A) Section through two adjacent
enterocytes of unperfused posterior midgut of larva depicting the
intercellular septum from the junctional complex (JC) to the basal
extracellular labyrinth (BEL). The lateral intracellular space is absent
except for a few small dilations (arrows). The apical region of these cells
contains microvilli (MV), and the basal region rests on the basement membrane
(BM). An inner layer of circular muscles (CM) is also seen; magnification
x13,200; scale bar, 1 µm. (B) Magnified view of an apical region with
intercellular septal JC and dilations (arrows); magnification x37,300;
scale bar, 0.5 µm. (C) Apical region of epithelial cell showing MV
separated from the gut lumen by a single peritrophic membrane (PM);
magnification x21,000; scale bar, 0.5 µm. (D) Cross-section of MV
showing outer surfaces with fine fuzzy material and cytoplasmic surfaces
containing portasome-like particles (arrowheads); magnification x84,000;
scale bar, 0.5 µm. (E) Section through a basal region of an epithelial cell
showing an extensive BEL closely associated with mitochondria (M). The
basement membrane (BM) is separated from the haemolymph by inner CM, outer
longitudinal muscle (LM) and the outermost thin serosal barrier (SB);
magnification x16,700; scale bar, 0.5 µm. The BEL is lined by
particles of <20 nm diameter (small arrows, in inset). The inset is a
magnified view of the boxed region in E; magnification x54,000; inset
scale bar, 0.25 µm.
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Fig. 3. Perfused larval posterior midgut. (A–C) Sections of larval posterior
midgut epithelial cell perfused with bilateral Hepes Ringer solution. (A)
Microvillar brush border (MV) and extensive basal extracellular labyrinth
(BEL); magnification x11,700. (B) Removal of the peritrophic membrane
ensures direct access of intact microvilli (MV) to the luminal (L) perfusion
solution. magnification x16,000. (C) Basal region of the cell shows
basement membrane (BM), enclosing a significant BEL; magnification
x17,400. (D–F) Sections of larval posterior midgut epithelial cell
perfused with Hepes Ringer in the bath and Na+-free Hepes Ringer in
the lumen. (D) The MV are intact, but BEL volume is reduced and several large
intracellular vacuoles (V) are found in the cytoplasm; magnification
x12,000. (E) MV have many vesicles budding off from them (arrows);
magnification x16,700. (F) Magnified view of the basal region of the
cell with reduced BEL volume; magnification x18,700. (G–I)
Perfusion with bilateral Na+-free Hepes Ringer. (G) The cell is
filled with a large number of intracellular vacuoles (V); magnification
x11,700. (H) MV height is reduced, and there are several dilated
vesicles (arrows) budding off from MV tips; magnification x16,700. (I)
Basal region of the cell is devoid of basal extracellular labyrinth
(asterisk); magnification x14,000. CM, circular muscle; SB, serosal
barrier; T, tracheole. Scale bars (A–I), 1.0 µm.
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Fig. 4. (A) Line diagram of adult gut showing the intraluminal pH in various midgut
regions. The luminal contents of anterior and posterior midgut segments are
mildly alkaline (pH 7–9; green dots), while the middle midgut segment is
acidic (pH<4.0; magenta dots). C, cardia; H, head; HG, hindgut; MT,
Malpighian tubules. (B–E) General organization of adjacent epithelial
cells of various segments of adult midgut showing the arrangement of
peritrophic membrane (magenta), epithelial cells (black), basement membrane
(green), muscle fibres (red), regenerative cells or stem cells (light blue,
marked *) and serosal barrier (brown). (B,C) Anterior and posterior
region of the anterior midgut, respectively. (D) Acidic middle midgut. The
apical region of the secretory cell (SC) extrudes a large number of
electron-lucent vesicles (V) and vesicles containing electron-dense granules
(G). (E) Posterior midgut. AC, absorptive cell; BEL, basal extracellular
labyrinth; BM, basement membrane; CM, circular muscle; EcS, ectoperitrophic
space; EnS, endoperitrophic space; G, granules; JC, junctional complex; LIS,
lateral intracellular septum; LM, longitudinal muscle; M, mitochondria; MV,
microvilli; N, nucleus; PM1 and PM2, peritrophic
membranes; SB, serosal barrier; T, tracheole.
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Fig. 5. Unperfused adult anterior midgut. (A,B) Light micrographs of cross-sections
of anterior and posterior regions, respectively, of an adult anterior midgut.
Epithelial cells show large spherical or oval nuclei at the centre. (A)
Enterocytes of the anterior region are taller, with a central cytoplasmic dome
into the lumen (arrowheads); magnification x400. (B) Posterior cells are
large, cuboidal cells; magnification x400. Scale bars (A,B), 25 µm.
(C) A single epithelial cell sectioned through the anterior region of the
anterior adult midgut has a large oval-shaped nucleus (N) and a central
cytoplasmic dome. The apical region of the cell contains a well-developed
microvillar (MV) brush-border. Arrowheads denote the region from where the
intracellular junctional complexes begin; magnification x4400; scale
bar, 2 µm. (D) Section through double-layered peritrophic membranes (PM),
an inner thick one (PM1) that surrounds the food, and an outer thin
one (PM2) that bounds the ectoperitrophic space (asterisk) with the
MV; star, ectoperitrophic space; magnification x18,700; scale bar, 0.5
µm. (E) Cross-sections of MV showing small portasome-like particles on
their cytoplasmic side (arrows); magnification x100,000; scale bar, 0.1
µm. (F) An elongated regenerative or stem cell (S) located between the two
enterocytes; magnification x8100; scale bar, 2.0 µm. (G) Longitudinal
section through a portion of brush-border with MV; the apical region of the
cell has several large mitochondria (M); magnification x20,100; scale
bar, 0.5 µm. (H) Section through a basal region of an enterocyte showing
infoldings of the basal extracellular labyrinth (BEL). The basement membrane
(BM) is separated from the haemolymph by inner circular muscle (CM) and outer
longitudinal muscle (LM). T, tracheole; magnification x8800; scale bar,
0.5 µm.
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Fig. 6. Perfused adult anterior midgut. (A) Epithelium showing centrally located
nucleus (N) and many apically located mitochondria (M). The basal
extracellular labyrinth (BEL) extends up to almost half the cell height. L,
lumen; MV, microvilli; JC, junctional complex; magnification x2700;
scale bar, 5.0 µm. (B) Section through two adjacent epithelial cells of a
perfused adult anterior midgut shows a basal regenerative cell (S) between
them; magnification x3780; scale bar, 5.0 µm. (C) Apical region of
the epithelial cell of perfused adult anterior midgut cells showing MV that
are in direct access to the luminal solution; magnification x12,000;
scale bar, 1.0 µm. (D) Basal region has many mitochondria (M). BM, basement
membrane; CM, circular muscle; LM, longitudinal muscle; SB, serosal barrier;
T, tracheole; x10,000; scale bar, 1.0 µm.
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The midgut of several insect species with a wide variety of diet has been
studied at a cellular level (Anderson and
Harvey, 1966
; Cioffi,
1979
; Clements,
1992
; Dow, 1984
;
Dow, 1986
;
Dow and Peacock, 1989
;
Lehane and Billingsley, 1996
;
Moffett and Cummings, 1994
;
Okech et al., 2008
;
Onken et al., 2008
;
Patrick et al., 2006
;
Smith et al., 2007
;
Smith et al., 2008
;
Volkmann and Peters, 1989a
;
Volkmann and Peters, 1989b
;
Zhuang et al., 1999
). These
studies have revealed large longitudinal gradients of pH along the length of
the gut. However, the cellular basis of generation of these gradients and
their biological significance is not completely understood, with several
competing models proposed. It is therefore of interest to know if the midgut
of Drosophila, given its potential in genomics, provides an
opportunity for testing these hypotheses.
Despite the wealth of data that has made Drosophila an invaluable
model system for studying development of structure and function of organ
systems, there have been few studies on the structure
(Dimitriadis, 1991
;
Dimitriadis and Kastritsis,
1984
; Filshie et al.,
1971
; Gartner,
1985
) and function (Romero et
al., 2000
; Sciortino et al.,
2001
) of the gut. The recent resurgence of interest in the
structure and function of Drosophila midgut has coincidentally
occurred on two fronts. Microperfusion of the midgut and stereological
analysis of ultrastructure under controlled conditions
(Shanbhag and Tripathi, 2005
)
has enabled description of the transport properties of the epithelium and
analysis of the cellular basis of generation of axial H+ gradients
in different segments. The identification of stem cells in adult midgut and
hindgut segments (Lin et al.,
2008
; Micchelli and Perrimon,
2006
; Ohlstein and Spradling,
2006
; Takashima et al.,
2008
) has shown that Drosophila midgut epithelial
development and maintenance is analogous to mammalian intestinal crypt
development. In this review, we focus on the structural specialization of the
epithelium of various regions of the midgut and the mechanisms of
acid–base transport by this epithelium in larval and adult stages.
 |
Structure of midgut regions
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Insight into the structural organization and regional specialization of the
Drosophila midgut was first obtained by Filshie et al.
(Filshie et al., 1971
).
Gartner (Gartner, 1985
)
attempted the first stereological analysis of the anterior part of the adult
epithelium and observed the presence of regenerative cells and the primary
epithelial cells of the anterior midgut only, concluding that these were the
only two cell types lining the epithelium. Dimitriadis and Kastritsis
(Dimitriadis and Kastritsis,
1984
; Dimitriadis,
1991
), however, analysed the entire midgut in detail and
identified at least three specialized regions of the midgut and made the first
attempts to correlate the structure of the individual segments and cell types
with function. The identification of the middle segment as an acid-secreting
part has been verified and has invited immediate comparison with mammalian
epithelia, particularly the gastric epithelium containing parietal cells
(Baumann, 2001
;
Dubreuil, 2004
;
Dubreuil et al., 1998
;
Dubreuil et al., 2001
;
Yao and Forte, 2003
).

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Fig. 7. Unperfused adult posterior midgut. (A) Single layer of cuboidal cells,
inner circular muscle (CM) and outer longitudinal muscle (LM); magnification
x680; scale bar, 25 µm. (B) The basal region of the cell shows highly
dilated basal extracellular labyrinth (BEL); magnification x5700; scale
bar, 2.0 µm. (C) Densely packed microvilli (MV); asterisk, ectoperitrophic
space; magnification x28,500; scale bar, 0.5 µm. (D) Basal aspect of
an adult posterior midgut epithelial cell with highly dilated BEL. BM,
basement membrane; CM, circular muscle; SB, serosal barrier; T, tracheole;
magnification x15,000; scale bar, 0.5 µm.
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Larval midgut
For any epithelium, a controlled study requires access to both sides of the
epithelium, and for a tubular epithelium requires perfusion of the lumen. This
has been achieved for the larval Drosophila midgut
(Shanbhag and Tripathi, 2005
),
allowing stereological analysis of epithelial geometry simultaneously with
physiological studies. Fig. 1
shows the basic organization of the midgut into at least three separate parts:
an anterior near-neutral part, a strongly acidic middle segment and a third
zone of increasing alkalinity. The posterior midgut epithelium has been best
studied, but in principle all segments are amenable to perfusion studies. The
epithelium is tight because of long septa between cells
(Fig. 2A). Notable among its
properties is the amplification of the apical and basal membranes
(Fig. 3A,B,C,
Table 1). The value of
ultrastructure is further shown in its sensitivity in detecting changes
produced by physiological manoeuvres such as Na+ replacement, which
can produce massive and irreversible loss of plasma membrane
(Fig. 3D–I), particularly
when done on the basal side. The apical and basal membranes have
portasome-like particles (Fig.
2D,E, inset) indicative of H+ V-ATPase location on both
membranes.
Adult midgut
The adult midgut is segmented into anterior, middle and posterior regions
(Fig. 4). The basic membrane
areas and volumes of the anterior and posterior midgut of the adult epithelium
(Table 2) reveal that their
transport role is modest and correlate with smaller pH gradients. The anterior
segment is probably absorptive and confirms the basic observations of Gartner
(Gartner, 1985
) pertaining to
the anterior midgut only but also reveals that there is a degree of variation
of the anterior gut along its length (Fig.
4B,C, Fig. 5,
Fig. 6). Posterior segment
cells (Fig. 4E,
Fig. 7) have an extensively
dilated basal extracellular labyrinth, with a volume larger than that of
anterior segment cells, indicating more fluid reabsorption in the posterior
segment (Tripathi and Boulpaep,
1989
). Much less is known of the role of this epithelium in
adults, which requires further study in both ultrastructure and
physiology.
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Table 2. Quantitative ultrastructural analysis of bilaterally perfused anterior and
posterior midgut segments in adult Drosophila melanogaster
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Fig. 8. Unperfused adult middle (or acidic) midgut. (A) Epithelial layer with
alternating absorptive cells (AC) and cup-shaped secretory cells (SC). This
region also contains several regenerative or stem cells (S). CM, circular
muscle; L, lumen; PM, peritrophic membrane; magnification x560; scale
bar, 25 µm. (B) Section through an apical region of an absorptive cell
enclosed by double-layered peritrophic membranes PM1 and
PM2 enclosing the ectoperitrophic space (asterisk) between the
microvillar brush-border (MV) and PM2; magnification x27,000;
scale bar, 0.5 µm. (C) Section through a cup-shaped secretory cell with
basally located nucleus (N). Apical region of the cell has a well-developed
brush-border (see E) and the basal region shows few membrane infoldings (see
G). The cavity is usually filled with vesicles and secretory granules (G), and
opens into the ectoperitrophic space (asterisk); magnification x4100;
scale bar, 2.0 µm. (D) Section through an absorptive cell depicting the
extensive array of deep parallel basal extracellular labyrinth extending to
two-thirds of the cell height and perpendicular to the basement membrane (see
H). CM, circular muscle; SB, serosal barrier; T, tracheole; magnification
x3900; scale bar, 2.0 µm. (E) Apical region of a secretory cell
contains long and densely packed MV. Several large mitochondria (M) are
present in the cytoplasm but not in the microvilli; magnification
x26,400; scale bar, 0.5 µm. (F) Section through an apical region of
two adjacent absorptive cells showing small loosely packed MV. These cells
also contain many large M. The long intracellular junctional complex (JC) has
several dilations (arrows) but no lateral intracellular spaces; magnification
x15,000; scale bar, 1.0 µm. (G) Section through the basal region of a
secretory cell shows very few evaginations of basal extracellular labyrinth
(BEL). BM, basement membrane; CM, circular muscle; magnification
x16,000; scale bar, 1.0 µm. (H) Magnified view of the basal region of
the absorptive cell (cf. D) with extensive array of BEL (open arrow) enclosed
by BM. Several mitochondria (open arrowhead) lie parallel with their membranes
closely opposed to the plasma membrane of the basal infoldings. The thin
serosal barrier (SB) isolates the compartment between the BM and the
haemolymph. T, tracheole. Magnification x16,700; scale bar, 1.0
µm.
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Fig. 9. Unperfused adult middle midgut. (A,C) Low-magnification electron
micrographs of a secretory cell (SC) located between two absorptive cells (AC)
in closed and open configurations (open arrow). The secretory cell cavity in
the open state contains electron-dense granules and vesicles that are
liberated into the ectoperitrophic space (asterisk) of the midgut;
magnification x2600; scale bar, 5.0 µm. (B,D) Diagrammatic
representations of a secretory cell (SC) located between two absorptive cells
(AC) in open and closed configurations (also see
Fig. 10A,E). The luminal
surface of SC has long, densely populated microvilli (MV), and the basal
surface displays few infoldings (BEL). Absorptive cells (AC) have very short
and sparsely distributed MV but long and extensive parallel arrays of BEL. BM,
basement membrane; CC, closed cavity; CM, circular muscle; JC, intercellular
junctional complex; LM, longitudinal muscle; N, nucleus; OC, open cavity;
PM1 and PM2, peritrophic membranes; SB, serosal barrier;
T, tracheole.
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Fig. 10. Perfused adult middle midgut. (A). Section through a secretory cell (SC)
with apical cavity open to the lumen (L). The peritrophic membrane is washed
off, and intact microvilli (MV) are directly in contact with the luminal
solution. The cell contains a large number of secretory granules (G), vesicles
(V) and mitochondria (M); CM, circular muscle; LM, longitudinal muscle; SB,
serosal barrier; T, tracheole; magnification x5000; scale bar, 5.0
µm. (B) Magnified view of apical region of a secretory cell shows vesicles
with single or many electron-dense granules (G) arising mainly from the base
of the adjacent microvilli and many electron-lucent vesicles (V) that bud off
usually from the tip of the MV; magnification x18,700; scale bar, 1.0
µm. (C) Section through a portion of the cavity (asterisk) of the secretory
cell, with many secretory granules and vesicles. M, mitochondria; MV,
microvilli; N, nucleus; magnification x11,300; scale bar, 1.0 µm. (D)
Intercellular junctional complex (JC) of an absorptive cell(s) seen closing
the apical aperture of the secretory cavity; magnification x9300; scale
bar, 1.0 µm. (E). Section through a secretory cell (SC) in the same plane
shows the apical cell cavity closed by the intercellular JC of an absorptive
cell (AC). CC, closed cavity; CM, circular muscle; LM, longitudinal muscle; M,
mitochondria; SB, serosal barrier; magnification x5000; scale bar, 5.0
µm.
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The middle adult acidic segment (Fig.
4D; Figs 8,
9,
10) has attracted a good deal
of attention for its striking architecture, with alternate cells `facing'
opposite directions. It would be appropriate to refer to them as secretory and
absorptive cells on account of the great asymmetry of their apical and basal
membranes (Fig. 8D–H).
Cells of the middle segment are alternately absorptive (apically amplified
9-fold, basally >90-fold) and secretory (apically amplified by
>90-fold and basally
10-fold). The terminology suggested is based on
the direction of net transport predicted on areal considerations alone.
Table 3 shows that the apical
and basal membranes of these two cell types are amplified more than 100-fold
in either direction; their back-to-back geometry predicts significant
recycling of solutes and water and provides a structural basis for
bidirectional transport. The function of the secretory cells, composition of
the secreted contents, regulation of secretion, and membrane turnover are
still not clear, despite many studies
(Lehane and Billingsley, 1996
;
Yao and Forte, 2003
). The
apical membranes form a cavity that can be seen spontaneously in either `open'
or `closed' configuration (Figs
9 and
10) discharging membrane-bound
granular material.
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Table 3. Quantitative ultrastructural analysis of bilaterally perfused middle midgut
segment in adult Drosophila melanogaster
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Bidirectional transport in individual regions
|
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The identification of morphologically distinct segments of the midgut
implies that controlled study of each segment is necessary before one can
integrate the information for the entire midgut. Larvae, being voracious
feeders, have a highly active midgut epithelium, as evidenced by the
generation of much steeper pH gradients compared with adults
(Shanbhag and Tripathi, 2005
;
Shanbhag and Tripathi, 2008
)
(Figs 11,
12). Similar gradients have
been seen in a wide variety of insect midgut epithelia
(Dadd, 1975
;
Boudko et al., 2001b
;
Corena et al., 2002
;
Dow, 1986
;
Moffett and Cummings, 1994
;
Onken et al., 2008
;
Zhuang et al., 1999
).
Regardless of the direction of secretion of acid or base, the energetics of
transport in insect epithelia is believed to be primarily driven by vacuolar
or H+ V-ATPases in the Malpighian tubule and also the midgut
(Beyenbach, 2001
;
Dow and Davies, 2001
). The
fluxes of other electrolytes have been proposed to be driven as secondary
transport processes. Furthermore, it is also possible that many of the
membrane transporters in insects could be isoforms of mammalian transporters
that do not bind inhibitors or agonists as they do in mammals. In the
posterior larval midgut of Drosophila, a variety of inhibitors had no
effect on transport that was still sensitive to bafilomycin-A1
(Shanbhag and Tripathi,
2005
).

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Fig. 11. Midguts of 3rd instar Drosophila larvae. (A,B) Larvae fed with
food containing dyes alone or together with acetazolamide (C) to detect
luminal pH. GC, gastric caeca; MT, Malpighian tubules. (A) Acidification was
detected in the middle midgut (acid zone), where Bromophenol Blue (BPB) dye
changed from blue to yellow (pH<3.0). (B) Very strong alkalinization was
detected in the posterior half of the posterior midgut (alkaline zone), where
Phenol Red (PR) dye changed from red to dark pink (pH>10.0). (C)
Acetazolamide (100 µmol l–1) in food containing BPB led to
dissipation of pH gradients in the larval midgut. (D) Luminal content pH
detected by pH paper shows a distinct acid-secreting zone (acid zone, ochre,
pH<3) and posterior alkaline zone (dark green). (E) Acetazolamide (100
µmol l–1) in food dissipated the pH gradients in the acid
zone. Numbered panels below denote colours generated on universal pH paper by
pH standards of 1–11. Scale bar, 1 mm.
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Fig. 12. Carbonic anhydrase in the adult midgut. (A) Acidification was detected in
the middle midgut (arrows, acid zone) where the colour of Bromophenol Blue
(BPB) dye changed from blue to greenish brown (acid zone, pH<4.0); C,
cardia; CR, crop; H, head; HG, hindgut; MT, Malpighian tubules. (B)
Acetazolamide (100 µmol l–1) in food dissipated this
gradient. (C) Luminal content pH detected by pH paper showed a distinct
acid-secreting zone (arrows, pH<5) in the adult middle midgut. (D)
Acetazolamide (100 µmol l–1) in food abolishes this
acidification (arrows). Numbered panels below denote colours generated on
universal pH paper by pH standards of 1–11. Scale bar, 1 mm.
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Larval midgut
The other general feature of acid and base transport in the midgut
epithelia of many insects is that there is a carbonic anhydrase (CA)-catalysed
pool of H+ from which the H+ V-ATPases pump
(Corena et al., 2002
;
Corena et al., 2005
;
Ridgway and Moffett, 1986
;
Seron et al., 2004
). The
location of this pool is a subject of active study as many enzymes are
glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored and it is possible to localize these
pools to either intracellular or extracellular or both compartments. Strong CA
activity was localized at the apical membranes of goblet cells in the anterior
and middle midgut region of Manduca sexta that is associated with the
lumen alkalinization, but no CA activity was found in the posterior midgut
goblet cells. Lepidopteran midgut is also divided into regions that show a
substantial degree of structural and functional differentiation
(Ridgway and Moffett,
1986
).
The localization of CA in the Drosophila midgut has not yet been
achieved, but there are several interesting approaches that can be tried.
Corena et al. have localized CA in the mosquito midgut
(Corena et al., 2004
), and a
similar approach with membrane permeant and impermeant inhibitor would be a
valuable approach. The removal of the peritrophic membrane by microperfusion
improves access of the luminal perfusate to the apical membrane. It is
possible that the in vivo conditions of the peritrophic space may be
altered in terms of enzymes like CA that are located there
(Smith et al., 2007
), but
there is good reason to assume that the intracellular enzyme-catalysed
H+ pool is intact in perfused midguts, as shown below. As the
ectoperitrophic space is a likely candidate for such a location, it would be
important to verify this localization with antibodies to CA9 in both perfused
and unperfused preparations where the peritrophic membrane is intact
(Fig. 2C). The dissipation of
the acid gradient by inhibition of CA with acetazolamide
(Shanbhag and Tripathi, 2008
)
is easily detected on pH paper (Fig.
11D,E). However, the effects of inhibition of CA involved in base
secretion in the posterior midgut are not easily detected by this simple
method. One then has to rely on a more sensitive method (e.g. ion-selective
microelectrodes) to detect acid or base fluxes. Such an approach is shown in
Fig. 13.

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Fig. 13. Carbonic anhydrase and H+ V-ATPase in the larval posterior
midgut. (A) Intracellular pH measured in control solution (Sch-R) containing
equal amounts of Schneider insect medium and insect Ringer perfusing the lumen
and in the bath. Va, apical membrane potential;
Vb, basal membrane potential; Vc,
transepithelial potential at collection end; Vp,
transepithelial potential at perfusion end; VpHin,
potential of ion-selective microelectrode;
VpH–Vb, intracellular pH
corrected for membrane potential, referenced to ordinate at right.
Acetazolamide (100 µmol l–1) applied to the bath
reversibly alkalinizes the cell. (B) Extracellular scan of basal unstirred
layer pH with an ion-selective microelectrode whose potential
VpHout is shown as the brown trace, referenced to the
ordinate on the right. In Sch-R, the extracellular pH of the bulk solution of
the bath is 7.2. The pH microelectrode was advanced towards the gut wall by a
piezo-stepper and positioned close to the serosal barrier and basal
extracellular labyrinth (BEL; arrow); the increasingly positive
VpHout potential reflects the pH gradient at the basal
surface. The pH electrode was then retracted away to about 20 µm from the
gut wall (arrowhead). Acetazolamide (100 µmol l–1) applied
to the bath alkalinized the extracellular pH. Bafilomycin-A1 (1.5
µmol l–1) applied to the bath in addition to acetazolamide
in the bath further alkalinized the extracellular pH. Washout with control
Ringer restored H+ extrusion by the midgut, as seen by the positive
change in VpHout at the end of the trace.
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In Fig. 13A, which shows
measurement of intracellular pH, along with other membrane parameters, in the
perfused larval midgut, acetazolamide alkalinizes the cell when applied to the
bath; these effects are also seen from the lumen. This is clear evidence that
extrusion of acid and base is rate limited in the H+ pool. There
has been some uncertainty about the localization of the ATPase, particularly
in view of data on the Malpighian tubule and the mosquito midgut
(Beyenbach et al., 2000
;
O'Donnell et al., 1996
;
Wieczorek et al., 1999
;
Wieczorek et al., 2003
). One
line of evidence for a basal location of the ATPase in the Drosophila
posterior midgut (Shanbhag and Tripathi,
2005
), where the lumen is strongly alkaline, is the presence of
portasome-like structures in the BEL (Fig.
2E, inset). The intracellular pH being more alkaline than the BEL
or unstirred layer of the bath (Fig.
13A) provides even stronger evidence for the predominantly basal
location of the H+ V-ATPase. Thirdly, sensitivity to bafilomycin is
also greater in this preparation from the bath side, with hardly any effect
detected from the lumen. Thus, one can measure acid extrusion rates from the
basal side (Fig. 13B), and see
its reversible inhibition by acetazolamide, even without the peritrophic
membrane (from the lumen or bath) and bafilomycin (from the bath only).
Adult midgut
Perfusion of each midgut region is important to know the overall driving
forces for ions in each segment. Representative traces for three adult
segments are shown in Fig. 14
along with basic membrane potential data under free-flow conditions in control
Ringer and taking into account the fact that the ends of the segments are
damaged but electrically isolating the lumen from the bath. The anterior
region has a low transepithelial potential; the middle and posterior segments
have a transepithelial potential whose polarity favours net H+
flux, which can occur passively for the observed gradients. Therefore, primary
and secondary active transport processes have to be independently tested in
these segments along with a complete characterization of all electrochemical
driving forces and passive properties of individual cell membranes and the
paracellular pathway. Whereas the larval gut has a predominant H+
V-ATPase as primary transporter, the situation in the adult is far from
clear.

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Fig. 14. (A–C) Adult midgut transepithelial potentials recorded from the
anterior, middle and posterior segments, respectively, of Drosophila
by the perfusion (Vp), collection (Vc)
micropipettes and the basal cell membrane potential (Vb),
after bilateral HCO3– Ringer (control Ringer)
substitution. Current pulses ( 100 nA) cause displacements of
Va, Vb, Vc and
Vp. Va, apical membrane potential.
|
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Microperfusion and electrophysiological approaches have given us new tools
to investigate membrane transport processes in an important genomic organism
with many characterized mutations, e.g. labial
(Dubreuil et al., 1998
), where
individual cuprophilic cells may be absent. For a complete understanding of
the role of pH gradients in the Drosophila gut, experiments need to
be designed to supplement the approach shown here with newer techniques. For
instance, it is still not clear how base is secreted across the apical
membranes in the posterior midgut in either larva or adult. It would be of
interest to examine whether transporters like NDAE1
(Romero et al., 2000
;
Sciortino et al., 2001
) are
involved in the exit of base in the posterior midgut. Likewise, the transport
of other electrolytes and osmolytes needs clarification, as it is very likely
to be linked to the transport of acid and base in this epithelium. The
approach shown here can contribute to this end.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
We thank our colleagues T. V. Abraham and J. N. Parmar for their unfailing
support and Professor L. C. Padhy for valuable discussions. Supported by
Interdisciplinary Programme
11-R&D-TFR-5.02-1106.
 |
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