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Surprises from the airway epithelium

The epithelium of the pulmonary airways subserves a wide range of functions, from providing a barrier against inhaled particles and pathogens to transmitting signals to subepithelial cells. Given the central place of the epithelium in respiratory tract pathophysiology, the molecular determinants of epithelial function are appropriately the focus of intense scrutiny. In a recent issue of PNAS, two groups present important and surprising findings arising from primary observations in the airway epithelium. Krane and colleagues (1) demonstrate that mice with a deletion of the aquaporin-5 (AQP5) gene manifest greater airway constriction to cholinergic stimulation than wild-type animals. Huang and colleagues (2) describe compartmentalized signaling at the apical membrane of airway epithelial cells that regulates activity of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Each of these observations will likely prove to be of great interest across a range of scientific disciplines.