29.03.2024

“Egg-ceptional” Ion Channels and Transporters: The Science Behind Easter’s Favorite...

Easter is coming!

Across the globe, many people are gearing up to celebrate this cherished holiday. It’s a time for families to gather, enjoy festive meals, and participate in joint activities.

One of the most beloved Easter traditions, especially for children, is the Easter Egg Hunt. But beyond this, a few other activities are quite popular on Easter, such as egg decorating, egg rolling competitions, egg tapping, egg and spoon races…

Yes, the egg, representing new life and rebirth, stands out as a universal symbol of Easter.

But beyond their symbolic significance, eggs are also wonders of biological engineering. Each egg fulfills all the embryo’s needs in nutrients, minerals, water, protection from microbial contamination, and defense from external physical aggression. All the embryo’s needs… apart from a thermo-regulated environment. So, if you want to have a baby chicken, all you need to do is take a fertilized egg and put it in a warm place… and in 21 days, you’ll see a curious face pecking through the shell, eager to discover the world outside.

Speaking of the eggshell, its mechanical properties are quite remarkable. Composed mainly of calcium carbonate, this thin mineral shell, about 0.3 mm in thickness, can withstand static pressure of more than 3 kg. It is formed in the uterus over a 20-hour period in one of the fastest known biomineralization processes. During this process, chickens transfer about 10% of their total body calcium to the eggshell each day, making them one of the most efficient calcium transporters among vertebrates.

Interestingly, there is no storage for calcium or carbonate in the uterus, where the eggshell is formed. Therefore, both components are continuously supplied during the eggshell’s formation from the blood plasma and secreted into the uterine lumen.

And you might already be guessing which proteins are crucial for supplying such enormous amounts of calcium to the eggshell.

You’re right. These are ion channels and transporters.

A number of transporters and ion channels have been implicated in this process.

For instance, TRPV6, ITPR, calcium ATPases (ATP2A3, ATP2B1), and Ca2+/Na+ exchanger (SLC8A1,3) are believed to play a central role in calcium transfer and secretion in the uterus.

The HCO3-/Cl- exchanger (SLC26A9), as well as Na+/HCO3- co-transporters (SLC4A4, 5, 7, 10), are thought to contribute to HCO3- transport.

It has also been found that efficient transport of other ionic species (Na+, K+, Cl−, H+), is crucial for effective calcium secretion. Alongside the transporters mentioned above, ENAC channels (SCNN1A, 1B, 1G) are implicated in sodium uptake by uterine glandular cells, while KCNJ2, 15, 16, and KCNM potassium channels are believed to play a role in potassium secretion. In addition, CLCN2, CLCN5, and CFTR channels, along with the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (SLC12A2), have been proposed to regulate chloride transport.

So, as you admire your “egg-ceptional” Easter egg decorations, remember that behind each vibrant design lies nature’s meticulously engineered shield, crafted through the concerted efforts of ion transporters and channels.

Happy Easter!