Genetic Variation in the Proximal Promoter of ABC and SLC Superfamilies: Liver and Kidney Specific Expression and Promoter Activity Predict Variation

Membrane transporters play crucial roles in the cellular uptake and efflux of an array of small molecules including nutrients, environmental toxins, and many clinically used drugs. We hypothesized that common genetic variation in the proximal promoter regions of transporter genes contribute to observed variation in drug response. A total of 579 polymorphisms were identified in the proximal promoters (−250 to +50 bp) and flanking 5′ sequence of 107 transporters in the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) and Solute Carrier (SLC) superfamilies in 272 DNA samples from ethnically diverse populations. Many transporter promoters contained multiple common polymorphisms. Using a sliding window analysis, we observed that, on average, nucleotide diversity (π) was lowest at approximately 300 bp upstream of the transcription start site, suggesting that this region may harbor important functional elements. The proximal promoters of transporters that were highly expressed in the liver had greater nucleotide diversity than those that were highly expressed in the kidney consistent with greater negative selective pressure on the promoters of kidney transporters. Twenty-one promoters were evaluated for activity using reporter assays. Greater nucleotide diversity was observed in promoters with strong activity compared to promoters with weak activity, suggesting that weak promoters are under more negative selective pressure than promoters with high activity. Collectively, these results suggest that the proximal promoter region of membrane transporters is rich in variation and that variants in these regions may play a role in interindividual variation in drug disposition and response

Functional Genetic Variation in the Basal Promoter of the Organic Cation/Carnitine Transporters OCTN1 (SLC22A4) and OCTN2 (SLC22A5)

The organic cation/ergothioneine transporter OCTN1 (SLC22A4) and the high-affinity carnitine transporter OCTN2 (SLC22A5), play an important role in the disposition of xenobiotics and endogenous compounds. Here, we analyzed the sequence of the proximal promoter regions of OCTN1 and OCTN2 in four ethnic groups and determined the effects of the identified genetic variants on transcriptional activities and mRNA expression. Six variants were found in the proximal promoter of OCTN1, one of which showed high allele frequency ranging from 13 to 34% in samples from individuals with ancestries in Africa, Europe, China, and Mexico. OCTN1 haplotypes had similar activities as the reference in luciferase reporter assays. For OCTN2, three of the seven variants identified in the proximal promoter showed allele frequencies greater than 29.5% in all populations, with the exception of -207C>G (rs2631367) that was monomorphic in Asian Americans. OCTN2 haplotypes containing -207G, present in all populations, were associated with a gain of function in luciferase reporter assays. Consistent with reporter assays, OCTN2 mRNA expression levels in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from gene expression analysis were greater in samples carrying a marker for -207G. This SNP seems to contribute to racial differences in OCTN2 mRNA expression levels in LCLs. Our study with healthy subjects (n = 16) homozygous for either -207C or -207G, showed no appreciable effect of this SNP on carnitine disposition. However, there were significant effects of gender on carnitine plasma levels (p < 0.01). Further in vivo studies of OCTN2 promoter variants on carnitine disposition and variation in drug response are warranted

Reduced renal clearance of cefotaxime in asians with a low-frequency polymorphism of OAT3 (SLC22A8).

Organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3, SLC22A8), a transporter expressed on the basolateral membrane of the proximal tubule, plays a critical role in the renal excretion of organic anions including many therapeutic drugs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effects of the OAT3-Ile305Phe variant (rs11568482), present at 3.5% allele frequency in Asians, on drug disposition with a focus on cefotaxime, a cephalosporin antibiotic. In HEK293-Flp-In cells, the OAT3-Ile305Phe variant had a lower maximum cefotaxime transport activity, Vmax , [159 ± 3 nmol*(mg protein)(-1) /min (mean ± SD)] compared with the reference OAT3 [305 ± 28 nmol*(mg protein)(-1) /min, (mean ± SD), p &lt; 0.01], whereas the Michaelis-Menten constant values (Km ) did not differ. In healthy volunteers, we found volunteers that were heterozygous for the Ile305Phe variant and had a significantly lower cefotaxime renal clearance (CLR ; mean ± SD: 84.8 ± 32.1 mL/min, n = 5) compared with volunteers that were homozygous for the reference allele (158 ± 44.1 mL/min, n = 10; p = 0.006). Furthermore, the net secretory component of cefotaxime renal clearance (CLsec ) was reduced in volunteers heterozygous for the variant allele [33.3 ± 31.8 mL/min (mean ± SD)] compared with volunteers homozygous for the OAT3 reference allele [97.0 ± 42.2 mL/min (mean ± SD), p = 0.01]. In summary, our study suggests that a low-frequency reduced-function polymorphism of OAT3 associates with reduced cefotaxime CLR and CL(sec)

Reduced Renal Clearance of Cefotaxime in Asians with a Low-Frequency Polymorphism of OAT3 (SLC22A8)

Organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3, SLC22A8), a transporter expressed on the basolateral membrane of the proximal tubule, plays a critical role in the renal excretion of organic anions including many therapeutic drugs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effects of the OAT3-Ile305Phe variant (rs11568482), present at 3.5% allele frequency in Asians, on drug disposition with a focus on cefotaxime, a cephalosporin antibiotic. In HEK293- Flp-In cells, the OAT3-Ile305Phe variant had a lower maximum cefotaxime transport activity, Vmax, [159 ± 3 nmol*(mg protein)(−1)/min (mean ± SD)] compared with the reference OAT3 [305 ± 28 nmol*(mg protein)(−1)/min, (mean ± SD), p < 0.01], whereas the Michaelis-Menten constant values (Km) did not differ. In healthy volunteers, we found volunteers that were heterozygous for the Ile305Phe variant and had a significantly lower cefotaxime renal clearance (CL(R); mean ± SD: 84.8 ± 32.1 mL/min, n = 5) compared with volunteers that were homozygous for the reference allele (158 ± 44.1 mL/min, n = 10; p = 0.006). Furthermore, the net secretory component of cefotaxime renal clearance (CLsec) was reduced in volunteers heterozygous for the variant allele [33.3 ± 31.8 mL/min (mean ± SD)] compared with volunteers homozygous for the OAT3 reference allele [97.0 ± 42.2 mL/min (mean ± SD), p = 0.01]. In summary, our study suggests that a low-frequency reduced-function polymorphism of OAT3 associates with reduced cefotaxime CL(R) and CL(sec)

Reprogramming Suppresses Premature Senescence Phenotypes of Werner Syndrome Cells and Maintains Chromosomal Stability over Long-Term Culture

<div><p>Werner syndrome (WS) is a premature aging disorder characterized by chromosomal instability and cancer predisposition. Mutations in <i>WRN</i> are responsible for the disease and cause telomere dysfunction, resulting in accelerated aging. Recent studies have revealed that cells from WS patients can be successfully reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In the present study, we describe the effects of long-term culture on WS iPSCs, which acquired and maintained infinite proliferative potential for self-renewal over 2 years. After long-term cultures, WS iPSCs exhibited stable undifferentiated states and differentiation capacity, and premature upregulation of senescence-associated genes in WS cells was completely suppressed in WS iPSCs despite <i>WRN</i> deficiency. WS iPSCs also showed recapitulation of the phenotypes during differentiation. Furthermore, karyotype analysis indicated that WS iPSCs were stable, and half of the descendant clones had chromosomal profiles that were similar to those of parental cells. These unexpected properties might be achieved by induced expression of endogenous telomerase gene during reprogramming, which trigger telomerase reactivation leading to suppression of both replicative senescence and telomere dysfunction in WS cells. These findings demonstrated that reprogramming suppressed premature senescence phenotypes in WS cells and WS iPSCs could lead to chromosomal stability over the long term. WS iPSCs will provide opportunities to identify affected lineages in WS and to develop a new strategy for the treatment of WS.</p></div