The kidney collecting duct (CD) is a tubular segment of the kidney where the osmolality and final flow rate of urine are established, enabling urine concentration and body water homeostasis. Water reabsorption in the CD depends on the action of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and a transepithelial osmotic gradient between the luminal fluid and surrounding interstitium. AVP induces transcellular water reabsorption across CD principal cells through associated signaling pathways after binding to arginine vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR2). This signaling cascade regulates the water channel protein aquaporin-2 (AQP2). AQP2 is exclusively localized in kidney connecting tubules and CDs. Specifically, AVP stimulates the intracellular translocation of AQP2-containing vesicles to the apical plasma membrane, increasing the osmotic water permeability of CD cells. Moreover, AVP induces transcription of the Aqp2 gene, increasing AQP2 protein abundance. This review provides new insights into the transcriptional regulation of the Aqp2 gene in the kidney CD with an overview of AVP and AQP2. It summarizes current therapeutic approaches for X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by AVPR2 gene mutations.
Aquaporin 2 ; Arginine Vasopressin ; Body Water ; Cell Membrane ; Diabetes Insipidus, Nephrogenic ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Homeostasis ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Osmolar Concentration ; Permeability ; Phenobarbital ; Receptors, Vasopressin ; Water

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mind bomb-1 (Mib1) encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase, which is required for the initiation of Notch signaling. Recently, it was demonstrated that the renal collecting duct plays an important role in renal fibrosis. Here, we investigated the role of Notch signaling in renal fibrosis using conditional knockout mice with the specific ablation of Mib1 in renal collecting duct principal cells. METHODS: Mib1-floxed mice (Mib1f/f ) were crossed with aquaporin 2 (AQP2)-Cre mice in order to generate principal cell-specific Mib1 knockout mice (Mib1f/f :AQP2-Cre+). Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) was performed, and mice were sacrificed 7 days after UUO. RESULTS: After performing the UUO, renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and the expression of transforming growth factor β were markedly enhanced in the obstructed kidneys of Mib1f/f mice compared with the sham-operated kidney of Mib1f/f mice. These changes were shown to be even more pronounced in the obstructed kidneys of Mib1f/f :AQP2-Cre+ mice than in those of the Mib1f/f mice . Furthermore, the number of TUNNEL-positive cells in renal collecting duct was higher in the obstructed kidneys of Mib1f/f :AQP2-Cre+ mice than in the kidneys of Mib1f/f mice. CONCLUSIONS: Notch signaling in the renal collecting duct plays an important role in the regulation of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and apoptosis after UUO.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Aquaporin 2 ; Fibrosis* ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Mice* ; Mice, Knockout ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction*

The kidney collecting duct is an important renal tubular segment for the regulation of body water and salt homeostasis. Water reabsorption in the collecting duct cells is regulated by arginine vasopressin (AVP) via the vasopressin V2-receptor (V2R). AVP increases the osmotic water permeability of the collecting duct cells through aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and aquaporin-3 (AQP3). AVP induces the apical targeting of AQP2 and transcription of AQP2 gene in the kidney collecting duct principal cells. The signaling transduction pathways resulting in the AQP2 trafficking to the apical plasma membrane of the collecting duct principal cells, include AQP2 phosphorylation, RhoA phosphorylation, actin depolymerization and calcium mobilization, and the changes of AQP2 protein abundance in water balance disorders have been extensively studied. These studies elucidate the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of body water homeostasis and provide the basis for the treatment of body water balance disorders.
Actins ; Aquaporin 2* ; Aquaporins ; Arginine Vasopressin ; Body Water ; Calcium ; Cell Membrane ; Homeostasis ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting* ; Permeability ; Phosphorylation ; Vasopressins ; Water-Electrolyte Balance Body Water

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) decreases the net acid excretion, predominantly due to a decrease in urinary ammonia excretion. This study examined whether this decrement is associated with changes in the renal expression of the ammonia transporter family members, Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg), in rats with amiloride-induced RTA. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated intraperitoneally with amiloride (3 mg/kg/day) for 6 days. Rhbg and Rhcg expression was evaluated by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Cell height, total cellular expression, expression in the apical 25% of the cell, and apical expression as a percentage of total expression were quantified using immunohistochemistry with quantitative morphometric analysis. RESULTS: After amiloride treatment for 6 days, the serum bicarbonate level was decreased, and serum potassium was increased. The total urinary ammonia excretion and potassium excretion were decreased. The total Rhbg and Rhcg protein expression levels were not changed in the cortex or outer medulla of the kidney. Light microscopy and immunohistochemistry with quantitative morphometric analysis demonstrated that total Rhcg expression was decreased in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) and outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) in amiloride-induced RTA, whereas Rhbg immunoreactivity was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Rats with amiloride-induced RTA have decreased urinary ammonia excretion associated with decreased Rhcg expression in the CCD and OMCD, suggesting that the ammonia transporter Rhcg plays an important role in the pathogenesis of amiloride-induced RTA.
Acidosis, Renal Tubular ; Amiloride ; Ammonia ; Animals ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Light ; Male ; Microscopy ; Potassium ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Akt (protein kinase B (PKB)) is a serine/threonine kinase that acts in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, triggered by growth factors and hormones including vasopressin, is an important pathway that is widely involved in cellular mechanisms regulating transcription, translation, cell growth and death, cell proliferation, migration, and cell cycles. In particular, Akt and Akt substrate protein of 160 kDa (AS160) are likely to participate in the trafficking of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the kidney collecting duct. In this study, we demonstrated that 1) small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing of Akt1 significantly decreased Akt1 and phospho-AS160 protein expression; and 2) confocal laser scanning microscopy of AQP2 in mouse cortical collecting duct cells (M-1 cells) revealed AS160 knockdown by siRNA increased AQP2 expression in the plasma membrane compared with controls, despite the absence of dDAVP stimulation. Thus, the results suggest that PI3K/Akt pathways could play a role in AQP2 trafficking via the AS160 protein.
Animals ; Aquaporin 2 ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Membrane ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Gene Silencing ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Membranes ; Mice ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Transport ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; rab GTP-Binding Proteins ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Vasopressins ; Water

Ubiquitination is known to be important for endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of aquaporin-2 (AQP2). Ubiquitin (Ub) is covalently attached to the lysine residue of the substrate proteins and activation and attachment of Ub to a target protein is mediated by the action of three enzymes (i.e., E1, E2, and E3). In particular, E3 Ub-protein ligases are known to have substrate specificity. This minireview will discuss the ubiquitination of AQP2 and identification of potential E3 Ub-protein ligases for 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (dDAVP)-dependent AQP2 regulation.
Aquaporin 2 ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Endocytosis ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Ligases ; Lysine ; Proteins ; Substrate Specificity ; Ubiquitin ; Ubiquitination ; Vasopressins

PURPOSE: Cell volume regulation is critical in kidney collecting duct cells which are subjected to large transepithelial osmotic gradients and stimulation of vasopressin. The present study aimed at validating the usefulness of the fluorescence quenching method to measure rapid changes in the cell volume of the kidney collecting duct cells in response to changes of extracellular osmolality and/or dDAVP (V2 receptor agonist) stimulation. METHODS: M-1 cell (a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line) was used and the data presented traces of cellular fluorescence in M-1 cells loaded with calcein collected over time as extracellular osmolality was repeatedly changed or dDAVP was treated. And the "initial relative rate of cell volume changes" was calculated. RESULTS: M-1 cells loaded with calcein revealed that fluorescence was increased when exposed to low extracellular osmolality (250 mOsm/KgH2O), whereas it was decreased by high extracellular osmolality (350 mOsm/KgH2O). This could reflect volume-dependent changes in fluorescence intensity in the range of quenching concentrations. The calculated "initial relative rate of cell volume changes" in M-1 cells during 1 sec was increased-7-fold by dDAVP treatment (10(-8)M, 2 min), compared with vehicle treatment when extracellular osmolality was changed from 350 to 250 mOsm/KgH2O. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a fluorescence quenching method could be exploited for investigating an effect of dDAVP or other drugs/chemicals on the relative rate of cell volume changes in the kidney collecting duct cells.
Animals ; Aquaporins ; Cell Size ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Fluoresceins ; Fluorescence ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Mice ; Osmolar Concentration ; Vasopressins

Ammonia metabolism is a fundamental process in the maintenance of life in all living organisms. Recent studies have identified ammonia transporter family proteins in yeast (Mep), plants (Amt), and mammals (Rh glycoproteins). In mammalian kidneys, where ammonia metabolism and transport are critically important for the regulation of systemic acid - base homeostasis, basolateral Rh B glycoprotein and apical/basolateral Rh C glycoprotein are expressed along the distal nephron segments. Data from experimental animal models and knockout mice suggest that the Rh glycoproteins appear to mediate important roles in urinary ammonia excretion.
Ammonia ; Animals ; Glycoproteins ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Mammals ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Models, Animal ; Nephrons ; Proteins ; Yeasts

Renal ammonium metabolism is the primary component of net acid excretion and thereby is critical for acid - base homeostasis. Briefly, ammonium is produced from glutamine in the proximal tubule in a series of biochemical reactions that result in equimolar bicarbonate. Ammonium is predominantly secreted into the luminal fluid via the apical Na++xchanger, NHE3. The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle reabsorbs luminal ammonium, predominantly by transport of NH4+y the apical Na++Cl - cotransporter, BSC1/NKCC2. This process results in renal interstitial ammonium accumulation. Finally, the collecting duct secretes ammonium from the renal interstitium into the luminal fluid. Although in past ammonium was believed to move across epithelia entirely by passive diffusion, an increasing number of studies demonstrated that specific proteins contribute to renal ammonium transport. Recent studies have yielded important new insights into the mechanisms of renal ammonium transport. In this review, we will discuss renal handling of ammonium, with particular emphasis on the transporters involved in this process.
Ammonia ; Diffusion ; Extremities ; Glutamine ; Handling (Psychology) ; Homeostasis ; Kidney ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; Loop of Henle ; Phenobarbital ; Proteins ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Kidney Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Kidney Tubules, Collecting ; pathology ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Nephrectomy ; Rhabdoid Tumor ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism