Vacuolar-type proton ATPase is required for maintenance of apicobasal polarity of embryonic visceral endoderm

The endocytic compartments keep their interior acidic through the inward flow of protons and anions from the cytosol. Acidification is mediated by a proton pump known as vacuolar-type ATPase (V-ATPase) and transporters conferring anion conductance to the organellar membrane. In this study, we analysed the phenotype of mouse embryos lacking the V-ATPase c-subunit. The mutant embryos differentiated embryonic epithelial tissues, primitive endoderm, epiblast, and extraembryonic ectoderm; however, the organisation of these epithelia was severely affected. The apical-basal polarity in the visceral endoderm layer was not properly established in the mutant embryos, resulting in abnormal epithelial morphology. Thus, the function of V-ATPase is imperative for the establishment and/or maintenance of epithelial cell polarity, which is required for early embryogenesis.