Quantitative morphology of renal cortical structures during compensatory hypertrophy

The compensatory hypertrophy in different renal cortical structures was studied in rats 10 and 21 days after unilateral nephrectomy (UNX). Quantitative morphological/stereological analysis revealed significant increases in total renal cortical volume - 33% on day 10 and 48% on day 21 - after UNX. These changes were paralleled by significant increments in the volumes of proximal convoluted tubule (PCT, 55%), distal convoluted tubule (DCT, 114%), and cortical collecting duct (CCD, 106%) segments on day 10. The corresponding changes on day 21 were 76, 122, and 212%, respectively. These alterations were accompanied by increases in segment length; 3% PCT, 23% DCT, and 50% CCD on day 10 and 9% PCT, 30% DCT, and 142% CCD on day 21 after UNX. The total luminal and basolateral cell membrane surface areas also exhibited a time-dependent increase after UNX. The increments in both luminal and basolateral membrane domains in PCT and DCT after 10 days were not significant, but reached significance after 21 days (PCT: luminal membrane 21%, basolateral membrane 63%; DCT: luminal membrane 98%, basolateral membrane 63%). In contrast, CCD membrane areas had increased substantially already 10 days after UNX (luminal membrane 92%, basolateral membrane 71%). It declined subsequently by day 21 (luminal membrane 57%, basolateral membrane 32%). The cell rubidium concentration after a 30-second rubidium infusion, an index of Na-K-ATPase activity, as well as sodium concentrations were unaltered in cells of all nephron segments investigated. Altogether the stereological analysis shows that the compensatory increase in organ volume can be attributed primarily to an increase in nephron epithelial volume. The PCT responds with `radial' hypertrophy (thickening of the tubular epithelial wall), while the DCT undergoes `length' hypertrophy (increase of tubular length without thickening of the tubular wall and without an increase in number of cells). This type of hypertrophy is especially prominent on day 21 after UNX for the CCD which doubles in length. Only on day 10 does the CCD seem to respond with hyperplasia. Adaptive changes in response to UNX develop gradually. Only a few of the morphological parameters studied had completed their change by 10 days, the majority required longer

Cyclic AMP modulation of ion transport across frog retinal pigment epithelium. Measurements in the short-circuit state.

In the frog retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the cellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) were measured in control conditions and after treatment with substances that are known to inhibit phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity (isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, SQ65442) or stimulate adenylate cyclase activity (forskolin). The cAMP levels were elevated by a factor of 5-7 compared with the controls in PDE-treated tissues and by a factor of 18 in forskolin-treated tissues. The exogenous application of cAMP (1 mM), PDE inhibitors (0.5 mM), or forskolin (0.1 mM) all produced similar changes in epithelial electrical parameters, such as transepithelial potential (TEP) and resistance (Rt), as well as changes in active ion transport. Adding 1 mM cAMP to the solution bathing the apical membrane transiently increased the short-circuit current (SCC) and the TEP (apical side positive) and decreased Rt. Microelectrode experiments showed that the elevation in TEP is due mainly to a depolarization of the basal membrane followed by, and perhaps also accompanied by, a smaller hyperpolarization of the apical membrane. The ratio of the apical to the basolateral membrane resistance increased in the presence of cAMP, and this increase, coupled with the decrease in Rt and the basolateral membrane depolarization, is consistent with a conductance increase at the basolateral membrane. Radioactive tracer experiments showed that cAMP increased the active secretion of Na (choroid to retina) and the active absorption of K (retina to choroid). Cyclic AMP also abolished the active absorption of Cl across the RPE. In sum, elevated cellular levels of cAMP affect active and passive transport mechanisms at the apical and basolateral membranes of the bullfrog RPE

Constraints of FL Motif on the Targeting and Function of Sodium-Bicarbonate Cotransporter 1

A C-terminal dihydrophobic FL motif plays a vital role in the basolateral targeting of sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1. To further characterize the role of dihydrophobic FL motif, 1). the FL motif in wild type (PFLS) was reversed to LF (PLFS), 2). the FL motif (PFLS) was shifted upstream (FLPS), and 3). the FL motif (PFLS) was shifted downstream (PSFL). The wild type (PFLS) and its mutant (PLFS) were exclusively expressed on the basolateral membrane by con-focal microscopy, however, the mutant (FLPS) and (PSFL) were predominantly mistargeted to the apical membrane and the cytoplasm, respectively. Functional studies showed that the mutant (PSFL) displayed a remarkably reduced current (p value<0.05 vs wild type). The mutant (PSFL) displayed a more reduced membrane surface expression than the wild type and was co-localized with ER marker. The protein sequence spanning FL motif in kNBC1 C-terminal cytoplasmic tail shows a helical structure, mutants (PLFS) and (PSFL) reduce a-helical contents by circular dichroism study. Reversed FL isn't a constraint for basolateral targeting, but shifting it upstream and downstream are ones

The SNARE machinery is involved in apical plasma membrane trafficking in MDCK cells.

We have investigated the controversial involvement of components of the SNARE (soluble N-ethyl maleimide-sensitive factor [NSF] attachment protein [SNAP] receptor) machinery in membrane traffic to the apical plasma membrane of polarized epithelial (MDCK) cells. Overexpression of syntaxin 3, but not of syntaxins 2 or 4, caused an inhibition of TGN to apical transport and apical recycling, and leads to an accumulation of small vesicles underneath the apical plasma membrane. All other tested transport steps were unaffected by syntaxin 3 overexpression. Botulinum neurotoxin E, which cleaves SNAP-23, and antibodies against alpha-SNAP inhibit both TGN to apical and basolateral transport in a reconstituted in vitro system. In contrast, we find no evidence for an involvement of N-ethyl maleimide-sensitive factor in TGN to apical transport, whereas basolateral transport is NSF-dependent. We conclude that syntaxin 3, SNAP-23, and alpha-SNAP are involved in apical membrane fusion. These results demonstrate that vesicle fusion with the apical plasma membrane does not use a mechanism that is entirely unrelated to other cellular membrane fusion events, but uses isoforms of components of the SNARE machinery, which suggests that they play a role in providing specificity to polarized membrane traffic

ABCC6 is a basolateral plasma membrane protein

RATIONALE:: ABCC6 plays a crucial role in ectopic calcification; mutations of the gene cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum and general arterial calcification of infancy. To elucidate the role of ABCC6 in cellular physiology and disease, it is crucial to establish the exact subcellular localization of the native ABCC6 protein. OBJECTIVE:: In a recent article in Circulation Research, ABCC6 was reported to localize to the mitochondria-associated membrane and not the plasma membrane. As the suggested mitochondrial localization is inconsistent with published data and the presumed role of ABCC6, we performed experiments to determine the cellular localization of ABCC6 in its physiological environment. METHODS AND RESULTS:: We performed immunofluorescent labeling of frozen mouse and human liver sections, as well as primary hepatocytes. We used several different antibodies recognizing human and mouse ABCC6. Our results unequivocally show that ABCC6 is in the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes and is not associated with the mitochondria, mitochondria-associated membrane, or the endoplasmic reticulum. CONCLUSIONS:: Our findings support the model that ABCC6 is in the basolateral membrane, mediating the sinusoidal efflux of a metabolite from the hepatocytes to systemic circulation. © 2013 American Heart Association, Inc

Cell volume regulation in the proximal tubule of rat kidney proximal tubule cell volume regulation

We developed a dynamic model of a rat proximal convoluted tubule cell in order to investigate cell volume regulation mechanisms in this nephron segment. We examined whether regulatory volume decrease (RVD), which follows exposure to a hyposmotic peritubular solution, can be achieved solely via stimulation of basolateral K^+ and Cl^− channels and Na^+–HCO₃^− cotransporters. We also determined whether regulatory volume increase (RVI), which follows exposure to a hyperosmotic peritubular solution under certain conditions, may be accomplished by activating basolateral Na^+/H^+ exchangers. Model predictions were in good agreement with experimental observations in mouse proximal tubule cells assuming that a 10% increase in cell volume induces a fourfold increase in the expression of basolateral K+ and Cl− channels and Na+–HCO₃^− cotransporters. Our results also suggest that in response to a hyposmotic challenge and subsequent cell swelling, Na^+–HCO₃^− cotransporters are more efficient than basolateral K^+ and Cl^− channels at lowering intracellular osmolality and reducing cell volume. Moreover, both RVD and RVI are predicted to stabilize net transcellular Na^+ reabsorption, that is, to limit the net Na^+ flux decrease during a hyposmotic challenge or the net Na^+ flux increase during a hyperosmotic challenge.This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, via grant R01DK106102 to AT Layton. (R01DK106102 - National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)Accepted manuscrip

Mutations in ap1b1 Cause Mistargeting of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase Pump in Sensory Hair Cells.

The hair cells of the inner ear are polarized epithelial cells with a specialized structure at the apical surface, the mechanosensitive hair bundle. Mechanotransduction occurs within the hair bundle, whereas synaptic transmission takes place at the basolateral membrane. The molecular basis of the development and maintenance of the apical and basal compartments in sensory hair cells is poorly understood. Here we describe auditory/vestibular mutants isolated from forward genetic screens in zebrafish with lesions in the adaptor protein 1 beta subunit 1 (ap1b1) gene. Ap1b1 is a subunit of the adaptor complex AP-1, which has been implicated in the targeting of basolateral membrane proteins. In ap1b1 mutants we observed that although the overall development of the inner ear and lateral-line organ appeared normal, the sensory epithelium showed progressive signs of degeneration. Mechanically-evoked calcium transients were reduced in mutant hair cells, indicating that mechanotransduction was also compromised. To gain insight into the cellular and molecular defects in ap1b1 mutants, we examined the localization of basolateral membrane proteins in hair cells. We observed that the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase pump (NKA) was less abundant in the basolateral membrane and was mislocalized to apical bundles in ap1b1 mutant hair cells. Accordingly, intracellular Na(+) levels were increased in ap1b1 mutant hair cells. Our results suggest that Ap1b1 is essential for maintaining integrity and ion homeostasis in hair cells

A molecular basis for selective antagonist destabilization of dopamine D3 receptor quaternary organization

The dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) is a molecular target for both first-generation and several recently-developed antipsychotic agents. Following stable expression of this mEGFP-tagged receptor, Spatial Intensity Distribution Analysis indicated that a substantial proportion of the receptor was present within dimeric/oligomeric complexes and that increased expression levels of the receptor favored a greater dimer to monomer ratio. Addition of the antipsychotics, spiperone or haloperidol, resulted in re-organization of D3R quaternary structure to promote monomerization. This action was dependent on ligand concentration and reversed upon drug washout. By contrast, a number of other antagonists with high affinity at the D3R, did not alter the dimer/monomer ratio. Molecular dynamics simulations following docking of each of the ligands into a model of the D3R derived from the available atomic level structure, and comparisons to the receptor in the absence of ligand, were undertaken. They showed that, in contrast to the other antagonists, spiperone and haloperidol respectively increased the atomic distance between reference α carbon atoms of transmembrane domains IV and V and I and II, both of which provide key interfaces for D3R dimerization. These results offer a molecular explanation for the distinctive ability of spiperone and haloperidol to disrupt D3R dimerization