Fine regulation of water reabsorption by the antidiuretic hormone [8-arginine]vasopressin (AVP) occurs in principal cells of the collecting duct and is largely dependent on regulation of the aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channel. AVP-inducible long term AQP2 expression was investigated in immortalized mouse cortical collecting duct principal cells. Combined RNase protection assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that physiological concentrations of AVP added to the basal side, but not to the apical side, of cells grown on filters induced both AQP2 mRNA and apical protein expression. The stimulatory effect of AVP on AQP2 expression followed a V 2 receptor-dependent pathway because [deamino-8-D-arginine]vasopressin (dDAVP), a specific V 2 receptor agonist, produced the same effect as AVP, whereas the V 2 antagonist SR121463B antagonized action of both AVP and dDAVP. Moreover, forskolin and cyclic 8-bromo-AMP fully reproduced the effects of AVP on AQP2 expression. Analysis of protein degradation pathways showed that inhibition of proteasomal activity prevented synthesis of AVP-inducible AQP2 mRNA and protein. Once synthesized, AQP2 protein was quickly degraded, a process that involves both the proteasomal and lysosomal pathways. This is the first study that delineates induction and degradation mechanisms of AQP2 endogenously expressed by a renal collecting duct principal cell line.Kidneys are the major determinant of body water and electrolyte composition. Water reabsorption across the membranes of renal epithelial cells occurs through a complex process. Approximately 70 and 15% of the glomerular filtrate is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule and thin descending limb of Henle's loop, respectively. In contrast, the ascending limb of Henle's loop and the distal convoluted tubule are impermeable to water. These segments empty into the collecting duct (CD), 1 the chief site where tight regulation of water reabsorption occurs. In this segment, and in the connecting tubule of some species as well (1, 2), the excretion of electrolyte-free water is adjusted by principal cells under the control of the antidiuretic hormone [8-arginine]vasopressin (AVP) (3). Water movement across renal epithelial cells is facilitated by the presence of water channels of the aquaporin (AQP) protein family. Aquaporins exhibit a conserved homotetrameric organization, and the expression of different members of the aquaporin family is tissue-specific. AQP1 accounts for the transcellular selective water permeability of the proximal tubule and thin descending limb of Henle's loop (4, 5) and is constitutively expressed in the apical and basolateral membrane domains of both of these segments (6). Three aquaporins (AQP2, AQP3, and AQP4) are expressed in collecting duct principal cells where AVP regulates water reabsorption across the principal cell epithelium. AQP2 is located in subapical intracellular vesicles and in the apical plasma membrane (7, 8), whereas AQP3 and AQP4 are both located in the basolateral membrane (9, 10). Of all a...

Renal sodium homeostasis is a major determinant of blood pressure and is regulated by several natriuretic and antinatriuretic hormones. These hormones, acting through intracellular second messengers, either activate or inhibit proximal tubule Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. We have shown previously that phorbol ester (PMA) stimulation of endogenous PKC leads to activation of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase in cultured proximal tubule cells (OK cells) expressing the rodent Na(+), K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit. We have now demonstrated that the treatment with PMA leads to an increased amount of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase molecules in the plasmalemma, which is proportional to the increased enzyme activity. Colchicine, dinitrophenol, and potassium cyanide prevented the PMA-dependent stimulation of activity without affecting the increased level of phosphorylation of the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit. This suggests that phosphorylation does not directly stimulate Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity; instead, phosphorylation may be the triggering mechanism for recruitment of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase molecules to the plasma membrane. Transfected cells expressing either an S11A or S18A mutant had the same basal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity as cells expressing the wild-type rodent alpha-subunit, but PMA stimulation of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity was completely abolished in either mutant. PMA treatment led to phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit by stimulation of PKC-beta, and the extent of this phosphorylation was greatly reduced in the S11A and S18A mutants. These results indicate that both Ser11 and Ser18 of the alpha-subunit are essential for PMA stimulation of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, and that these amino acids are phosphorylated during this process. The results presented here support the hypothesis that PMA regulation of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase is the result of an increased number of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase molecules in the plasma membrane.

Phosphorylation of the ␣-subunit of Na ϩ ,K ϩ -ATPase plays an important role in the regulation of this pump. Recent studies suggest that insulin, known to increase solute and fluid reabsorption in mammalian proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), is stimulating Na ϩ ,K ϩ -ATPase activity through the tyrosine phosphorylation process. This study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the role of tyrosine phosphorylation of the Na ϩ ,K ϩ -ATPase ␣-subunit in the action of insulin. In rat PCT, insulin and orthovanadate (a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor) increased tyrosine phosphorylation level of the ␣-subunit more than twofold. Their effects were not additive, suggesting a common mechanism of action. Insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was prevented by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The site of tyrosine phosphorylation was identified on Tyr-10 by controlled trypsinolysis in rat PCTs and by site-directed mutagenesis in opossum kidney cells transfected with rat ␣-subunit. The functional relevance of Tyr-10 phosphorylation was assessed by 1) the abolition of insulin-induced stimulation of the ouabain-sensitive 86 Rb uptake in opossum kidney cells expressing mutant rat ␣1-subunits wherein tyrosine was replaced by alanine or glutamine; and 2) the similarity of the time course and dose dependency of the insulin-induced increase in ouabain-sensitive 86 Rb uptake and tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings indicate that phosphorylation of the Na ϩ ,K ϩ -ATPase ␣-subunit at Tyr-10 likely participates in the physiological control of sodium reabsorption in PCT.

The kidney medulla is exposed to very high interstitial osmolarity leading to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). However, the respective roles of increased intracellular osmolality and of cell shrinkage in MAPK activation are not known. Similarly, the participation of MAPK in the regulatory volume increase (RVI) following cell shrinkage remains to be investigated. In the rat medullary thick ascending limb of Henle (MTAL), extracellular hypertonicity produced by addition of NaCl or sucrose increased the phosphorylation level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 kinase and to a lesser extent c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase with sucrose only. Both hypertonic solutions decreased the MTAL cellular volume in a doseand time-dependent manner. In contrast, hypertonic urea had no effect. The extent of MAPK activation was correlated with the extent of MTAL cellular volume decrease. Increasing intracellular osmolality without modifying cellular volume did not activate MAPK, whereas cell shrinkage without variation in osmolality activated both ERK and p38. In the presence of 600 mosmol/liter NaCl, the maximal cell shrinkage was observed after 10 min at 37°C and the MTAL cellular volume was reduced to 70% of its initial value. Then, RVI occurred and the cellular volume progressively recovered to reach about 90% of its initial value after 30 min. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, almost completely inhibited the cellular volume recovery, whereas inhibition of ERK did not alter RVI. In conclusion, in rat MTAL: 1) cell shrinkage, but not intracellular hyperosmolality, triggers the activation of both ERK and p38 kinase in response to extracellular hypertonicity; and 2) RVI is dependent on p38 kinase activation.During diuresis and antidiuresis, the kidney medulla is exposed to large fluctuations of interstitial osmolarity (1), which challenge cell volume constancy. Cells of the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle (MTAL) 1 are of special interest, since they are the major contributor to the generation of the renal cortico-papillary osmotic gradient allowing urinary concentration in terrestrial animals. The first adaptive process occurring in response to extracellular hypertonicity-induced cell shrinkage is a regulatory cell volume increase (RVI). The RVI results from the stimulation of ion transporters which increase the intracellular ion content within minutes and partially restore the cellular volume from the initial cell shrinkage (2, 3). A second adaptive mechanism, in mammalian cells, is the induction of genes encoding proteins involved in the accumulation of intracellular "compatible osmolytes" within hours and days. These osmoprotective proteins are either enzymes, i.e. aldose reductase generating sorbitol from glucose, or organic osmolytes transporters, i.e. myo-inositol, taurine, glycerophosphocholine, and betaine (4). The intracellular signaling pathways mediating these adaptive mechanisms, especially the role of MAP kinases, are still incompletely understood. Mitogen-activ...

Recent evidence suggests that arginine vasopressin (AVP)-dependent aquaporin-2 expression is modulated by the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in principal cells of the collecting duct, but the signaling pathways mediating this effect are unknown. Using a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line (mpkCCD cl4 ), we found that increasing the concentration of apical extracellular calcium or treating with the CaSR agonists neomycin or Gd 3ϩ attenuated AVP-dependent accumulation of aquaporin-2 mRNA and protein; CaSR gene-silencing prevented this effect. Calcium reduced the AVP-induced accumulation of cAMP, but this did not occur by increased degradation of cAMP by phosphodiesterases or by direct inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Notably, the effect of extracellular calcium on AVP-dependent aquaporin-2 expression was prevented by inhibition of calmodulin. In summary, our results show that high concentrations of extracellular calcium attenuate AVP-induced aquaporin-2 expression by activating the CaSR and reducing coupling efficiency between V 2 receptor and adenylate cyclase via a calmodulindependent mechanism in cultured cortical collecting duct cells.

In the mammalian kidney the fine control of Na+ reabsorption takes place in collecting duct principal cells where basolateral Na,K-ATPase provides the driving force for vectorial Na+ transport. In the cortical collecting duct (CCD), a rise in intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) was shown to increase Na,K-ATPase activity and the number of ouabain binding sites, but the mechanism responsible for this event has not yet been elucidated. A rise in [Na+]i caused by incubation with the Na+ ionophore nystatin, increased Na,K-ATPase activity and cell surface expression to the same extent in isolated rat CCD. In cultured mouse mpkCCDcl4 collecting duct cells, increasing [Na+]i either by cell membrane permeabilization with amphotericin B or nystatin, or by incubating cells in a K(+)-free medium, also increased Na,K-ATPase cell surface expression. The [Na+]i-dependent increase in Na,K-ATPase cell-surface expression was prevented by PKA inhibitors H89 and PKI. Moreover, the effects of [Na+]i and cAMP were not additive. However, [Na+]i-dependent activation of PKA was not associated with an increase in cellular cAMP but was prevented by inhibiting the proteasome. These findings suggest that Na,K-ATPase may be recruited to the cell membrane following an increase in [Na+]i through cAMP-independent PKA activation that is itself dependent on proteasomal activity.

In rat proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) was previously reported to inhibit Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, a paradoxical finding in view of the known stimulatory effect of PKC on Na+ reabsorption. Because this inhibition occurs via phospholipase A2 activation, a pathway stimulated by hypoxia, we evaluated the influence of oxygen supply on PKC action on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. Results confirmed that PDBu inhibited PCT Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity under usual conditions. In contrast, when oxygen supply was increased, PDBu had no effect on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase hydrolytic activity, but it dose-dependently stimulated ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake. This latter effect, which was abolished by PKC inhibitors, resulted from an increment of the Na+ sensitivity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. Thus, in oxygenated rat PCTs, activation of PKC primarily stimulated Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. This likely contributes to increase solute reabsorption. Inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was observed only under hypoxic conditions. It may represent an adaptation to protect PCTs against deleterious effects of hypoxia.

Insulin has been shown to stimulate the rate of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb influx in the isolated rat proximal convoluted tubule (PCT). To study the mechanism of this activation of Na-K-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase), we determined the actions of insulin on 1) the maximal activity (Vmax) of Na-K-ATPase hydrolytic activity; 2) the maximal rate of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb influx (after intracellular Na loading); 3) the rate of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb influx under conditions where intracellular Na concentration is rate limiting, either in the presence or in the absence of 5 x 10(-4) M amiloride and/or low extracellular Na concentration (3 mM); and 4) the Na sensitivity of the Na-K-ATPase hydrolytic activity. The maximal rates of Na-K-ATPase hydrolytic activity and of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake were unchanged by insulin. In contrast, we confirmed that insulin enhanced 86Rb uptake (in peq.mm-1.min-1) in the absence of inhibitor of the Na/H exchanger [18.2 +/- 1.7 to 24.1 +/- 1.3 (SE), P < 0.03] and, in addition, demonstrated a similar stimulation in the presence of either 5 x 10(-4) M amiloride (7.2 +/- 0.6 to 10.7 +/- 0.9, P < 0.01), 3 mM extracellular Na (4.1 +/- 0.4 to 5.6 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05), and both amiloride and 3 mM extracellular Na (2.1 +/- 0.7 to 4.5 +/- 0.4, P < 0.03). Finally, insulin increased the sensitivity of Na-K-ATPase to Na as the apparent dissociation constant decreased from 46.5 +/- 5.3 to 27.6 +/- 3.0 mM (P < 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)