Expression of Anoctamin-1 in Human Gastrointestinal Tract During Embryonic and Fetal Development
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Anoctamin-1 (ANO1, TMEM16A), a transmembrane protein belonging to the ANO family, plays a role in the formation of calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs). It is involved in the regulation of physiological processes, including muscle contraction, gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and electrical excitability. Also, recent data suggest that ANO1 is a specific marker for interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). The aim of the paper was to examine the spatial and temporal distribution of ANO1 in the human stomach, small intestine, and large intestine during embryo-fetal development as a potential marker for the differentiation of ICC and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). As a material, we used samples from 2 embryos and 21 fetuses. The tissue samples were routinely processed into paraffin blocks, and 5 µm-thick sections were immunostained for ANO1. Our results showed that ANO1 expression appeared during the 8th week of embryonic development and persisted through the fetal stages. Epithelial, endothelial, and ICC cells consistently expressed ANO1 in all examined samples. SMCs showed strong ANO1 expression in the muscularis propria; however, by the 25th week, this immunopositivity was absent from the outer muscle layers in the stomach and large intestine. In conclusion, ANO1 can be considered a reliable marker for tracking the differentiation of SMCs and ICC during embryonic and fetal development.
Source: AFMN Biomedicine
Institutions: University of Nis, Klinički centar Niš
Language: English
Subfield: Gastroenterology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7140103819