The cytoplasmic C-terminal fragment of polycystin-1 regulates a Ca2+-permeable cation channel

Transient and Steady-State Properties of Drosophila Sensory Neurons Coding Noxious Cold Temperature

Coding noxious cold signals, such as the magnitude and rate of temperature change, play essential roles in the survival of organisms. We combined electrophysiological and computational neuroscience methods to investigate the neural dynamics of Drosophila larva cold-sensing Class III (CIII) neurons. In response to a fast temperature change (-2 to -6°C/s) from room temperature to noxious cold, the CIII neurons exhibited a pronounced peak of a spiking rate with subsequent relaxation to a steady-state spiking. The magnitude of the peak was higher for a higher rate of temperature decrease, while slow temperature decrease (-0.1°C/s) evoked no distinct peak of the spiking rate. The rate of the steady-state spiking depended on the magnitude of the final temperature and was higher at lower temperatures. For each neuron, we characterized this dependence by estimating the temperature of the half activation of the spiking rate by curve fitting neuron's spiking rate responses to a Boltzmann function. We found that neurons had a temperature of the half activation distributed over a wide temperature range. We also found that CIII neurons responded to decrease rather than increase in temperature. There was a significant difference in spiking activity between fast and slow returns from noxious cold to room temperature: The CIII neurons usually stopped activity abruptly in the case of the fast return and continued spiking for some time in the case of the slow return. We developed a biophysical model of CIII neurons using a generalized description of transient receptor potential (TRP) current kinetics with temperature-dependent activation and Ca²⁺-dependent inactivation. This model recapitulated the key features of the spiking rate responses found in experiments and suggested mechanisms explaining the transient and steady-state activity of the CIII neurons at different cold temperatures and rates of their decrease and increase. We conclude that CIII neurons encode at least three types of cold sensory information: the rate of temperature decrease by a peak of the firing rate, the magnitude of cold temperature by the rate of steady spiking activity, and direction of temperature change by spiking activity augmentation or suppression corresponding to temperature decrease and increase, respectively.

Polycystin-2 Is Required for Chondrocyte Mechanotransduction and Traffics to the Primary Cilium in Response to Mechanical Stimulation

Primary cilia and associated intraflagellar transport are essential for skeletal development, joint homeostasis, and the response to mechanical stimuli, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Polycystin-2 (PC2) is a member of the transient receptor potential polycystic (TRPP) family of cation channels, and together with Polycystin-1 (PC1), it has been implicated in cilia-mediated mechanotransduction in epithelial cells. The current study investigates the effect of mechanical stimulation on the localization of ciliary polycystins in chondrocytes and tests the hypothesis that they are required in chondrocyte mechanosignaling. Isolated chondrocytes were subjected to mechanical stimulation in the form of uniaxial cyclic tensile strain (CTS) in order to examine the effects on PC2 ciliary localization and matrix gene expression. In the absence of strain, PC2 localizes to the chondrocyte ciliary membrane and neither PC1 nor PC2 are required for ciliogenesis. Cartilage matrix gene expression (Acan, Col2a) is increased in response to 10% CTS. This response is inhibited by siRNA-mediated loss of PC1 or PC2 expression. PC2 ciliary localization requires PC1 and is increased in response to CTS. Increased PC2 cilia trafficking is dependent on the activation of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) activation. Together, these findings demonstrate for the first time that polycystins are required for chondrocyte mechanotransduction and highlight the mechanosensitive cilia trafficking of PC2 as an important component of cilia-mediated mechanotransduction.

An Overview of In Vivo and In Vitro Models for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Journey from 3D-Cysts to Mini-Pigs

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inheritable cause of end stage renal disease and, as of today, only a single moderately effective treatment is available for patients. Even though ADPKD research has made huge progress over the last decades, the precise disease mechanisms remain elusive. However, a wide variety of cellular and animal models have been developed to decipher the pathophysiological mechanisms and related pathways underlying the disease. As none of these models perfectly recapitulates the complexity of the human disease, the aim of this review is to give an overview of the main tools currently available to ADPKD researchers, as well as their main advantages and limitations.

Fundamental insights into autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease from human-based cell models

Several animal- and human-derived models are used in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) research to gain insight in the disease mechanism. However, a consistent correlation between animal and human ADPKD models is lacking. Therefore, established human-derived models are relevant to affirm research results and translate findings into a clinical set-up. In this review, we give an extensive overview of the existing human-based cell models. We discuss their source (urine, nephrectomy and stem cell), immortalisation procedures, genetic engineering, kidney segmental origin and characterisation with nephron segment markers. We summarise the most studied pathways and lessons learned from these different ADPKD models. Finally, we issue recommendations for the derivation of human-derived cell lines and for experimental set-ups with these cell lines.

Gαi-mediated TRPC4 activation by polycystin-1 contributes to endothelial function via STAT1 activation

Hypertension and aneurysm are frequently associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) caused by polycystin-1 (PC1) mutations, which is closely related to endothelial dysfunction. PC1 is an atypical G-protein-coupled receptor that activates G-proteins by self-cleavage; currently, however, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the associated intracellular signaling and ion channel activation remain poorly elucidated. Here, we report an activation mechanism of a calcium-permeable canonical transient receptor potential 4 (TRPC4) channel by PC1 and its endothelial function. We found that the inhibitory Gα_i3 protein selectively bound to the G-protein-binding domain on the C-terminus of PC1. The dissociation of Gα_i3 upon cleavage of PC1 increased TRPC4 activity. Calcium influx through TRPC4 activated the transcription factor STAT1 to regulate cell proliferation and death. The down-regulation of PC1/TRPC4/STAT1 disrupted migration of endothelial cell monolayers, leading to an increase in endothelial permeability. These findings contribute to greater understanding of the high risk of aneurysm in patients with ADPKD.

Phosphodiesterase Isoform Regulation of Cell Proliferation and Fluid Secretion in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

cAMP stimulates cell proliferation and Cl(-)-dependent fluid secretion, promoting the progressive enlargement of renal cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Intracellular cAMP levels are determined by the balance of cAMP synthesis by adenylyl cyclases and degradation by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Therefore, PDE isoform expression and activity strongly influence global and compartmentalized cAMP levels. We report here that PDE3 and PDE4 expression levels are lower in human ADPKD tissue and cells compared with those of normal human kidneys (NHKs), whereas PDE1 levels are not significantly different. Inhibition of PDE4 caused a greater increase in basal and vasopressin (AVP)-stimulated cAMP levels and Cl(-) secretion by ADPKD cells than inhibition of PDE1, and inhibition of PDE4 induced cyst-like dilations in cultured mouse Pkd1(-/-) embryonic kidneys. In contrast, inhibition of PDE1 caused greater stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and proliferation of ADPKD cells than inhibition of PDE4, and inhibition of PDE1 enhanced AVP-induced ERK activation. Notably, inhibition of PDE1, the only family of Ca(2+)-regulated PDEs, also induced a mitogenic response to AVP in NHK cells, similar to the effect of restricting intracellular Ca(2+). PDE1 coimmunoprecipitated with B-Raf and A-kinase anchoring protein 79, and AVP increased this interaction in ADPKD but not NHK cells. These data suggest that whereas PDE4 is the major PDE isoform involved in the regulation of global intracellular cAMP and Cl(-) secretion, PDE1 specifically affects the cAMP signal to the B-Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and regulates AVP-induced proliferation of ADPKD cells.

Novel role of ouabain as a cystogenic factor in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

The classic role of the Na-K-ATPase is that of a primary active transporter that utilizes cell energy to establish and maintain transmembrane Na(+) and K(+) gradients to preserve cell osmotic stability, support cell excitability, and drive secondary active transport. Recent studies have revealed that Na-K-ATPase located within cholesterol-containing lipid rafts serves as a receptor for cardiotonic steroids, including ouabain. Traditionally, ouabain was viewed as a toxin produced only in plants, and it was used in relatively high concentrations to experimentally block the pumping action of the Na-K-ATPase. However, the new and unexpected role of the Na-K-ATPase as a signal transducer revealed a novel facet for ouabain in the regulation of a myriad of cell functions, including cell proliferation, hypertrophy, apoptosis, mobility, and metabolism. The seminal discovery that ouabain is endogenously produced in mammals and circulates in plasma has fueled the interest in this endogenous molecule as a potentially important hormone in normal physiology and disease. In this article, we review the role of the Na-K-ATPase as an ion transporter in the kidney, the experimental evidence for ouabain as a circulating hormone, the function of the Na-K-ATPase as a signal transducer that mediates ouabain's effects, and novel results for ouabain-induced Na-K-ATPase signaling in cystogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Novel insights into TRPV4 function in the kidney

Kidneys are complex highly organized paired organs of nearly one million nephrons each. They rigorously process about 180 l of plasma daily to keep whole body homeostasis. To effectively perform such a titanic work, kidneys rely on mechanisms able to sense dynamic changes in composition and flow rates of protourine along the renal tubule. It is envisioned that Ca(2+)-permeable transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and specifically mechanosensitive TRPV4, can serve to interpret these external mechanical cues in the form of elevated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. This, in turn, initiates multiple cellular responses and adaptation mechanisms. The current review summarizes up-to-date knowledge about the sites of TRPV4 expression in renal tissue as well as discusses the functional role of the channel in cellular responses to hypotonicity and tubular flow. We will also provide insights as to how TRPV4 fits into classical polycystin mechanosensory complex in cilia and will speculate about previously underappreciated clinical implication of pharmacological TRPV4 targeting in treatment of polycystic kidney disease.

Calmodulin-sensitive adenylyl cyclases mediate AVP-dependent cAMP production and Cl- secretion by human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney cells

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), binding of AVP to the V2 receptor (V2R) increases cAMP and accelerates cyst growth by stimulating cell proliferation and Cl(-)-dependent fluid secretion. Basal cAMP is elevated in human ADPKD cells compared with normal human kidney (NHK) cells. V2R mRNA levels are elevated in ADPKD cells; however, AVP caused a greater increase in global cAMP in NHK cells, suggesting an intrinsic difference in cAMP regulation. Expression, regulatory properties, and receptor coupling of specific adenylyl cyclases (ACs) provide temporal and spatial regulation of the cAMP signal. ADPKD and NHK cells express mRNAs for all nine ACs. Ca(2+)-inhibited ACs 5 and 6 are increased in ADPKD cells, while Ca(2+)/CaM-stimulated ACs 1 and 3 are downregulated. ACs 1, 3, 5, and 6 were detected in cyst cells in situ, and codistribution with aquaporin-2 suggests that these cysts were derived from collecting ducts. To determine the contribution of CaM-sensitive ACs to AVP signaling, cells were treated with W-7, a CaM inhibitor. W-7 decreased AVP-induced cAMP production and Cl(-) secretion by ADPKD cells. CaMKII inhibition increased AVP-induced cAMP, suggesting that cAMP synthesis is mediated by AC3. In contrast, CaM and CaMKII inhibition in NHK cells did not affect AVP-induced cAMP production. Restriction of intracellular Ca(2+) switched the response in NHK cells, such that CaM inhibition decreased AVP-induced cAMP production. We suggest that a compensatory response to decreased Ca(2+) in ADPKD cells switches V2R coupling from Ca(2+)-inhibited ACs 5/6 to Ca(2+)/CaM-stimulated AC3, to mitigate high cAMP levels in response to continuous AVP stimulation.

Tolvaptan inhibits ERK-dependent cell proliferation, Cl⁻ secretion, and in vitro cyst growth of human ADPKD cells stimulated by vasopressin

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), arginine vasopressin (AVP) accelerates cyst growth by stimulating cAMP-dependent ERK activity and epithelial cell proliferation and by promoting Cl(-)-dependent fluid secretion. Tolvaptan, a V2 receptor antagonist, inhibits the renal effects of AVP and slows cyst growth in PKD animals. Here, we determined the effect of graded concentrations of tolvaptan on intracellular cAMP, ERK activity, cell proliferation, and transcellular Cl(-) secretion using human ADPKD cyst epithelial cells. Incubation of ADPKD cells with 10(-9) M AVP increased intracellular cAMP and stimulated ERK and cell proliferation. Tolvaptan caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of AVP-induced cAMP production with an apparent IC(50) of ∼10(-10) M. Correspondingly, tolvaptan inhibited AVP-induced ERK signaling and cell proliferation. Basolateral application of AVP to ADPKD cell monolayers grown on permeable supports caused a sustained increase in short-circuit current that was completely blocked by the Cl(-) channel blocker CFTR(inh-172), consistent with AVP-induced transepithelial Cl(-) secretion. Tolvaptan inhibited AVP-induced Cl(-) secretion and decreased in vitro cyst growth of ADPKD cells cultured within a three-dimensional collagen matrix. These data demonstrate that relatively low concentrations of tolvaptan inhibit AVP-stimulated cell proliferation and Cl(-)-dependent fluid secretion by human ADPKD cystic cells.

CaMK-II is a PKD2 target that promotes pronephric kidney development and stabilizes cilia

Intracellular Ca²⁺ signals influence gastrulation, neurogenesis and organogenesis through pathways that are still being defined. One potential Ca²⁺ mediator of many of these morphogenic processes is CaMK-II, a conserved calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Prolonged Ca²⁺ stimulation converts CaMK-II into an activated state that, in the zebrafish, is detected in the forebrain, ear and kidney. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease has been linked to mutations in the Ca²⁺-conducting TRP family member PKD2, the suppression of which in vertebrate model organisms results in kidney cysts. Both PKD2-deficient and CaMK-II-deficient zebrafish embryos fail to form pronephric ducts properly, and exhibit anterior cysts and destabilized cloacal cilia. PKD2 suppression inactivates CaMK-II in pronephric cells and cilia, whereas constitutively active CaMK-II restores pronephric duct formation in pkd2 morphants. PKD2 and CaMK-II deficiencies are synergistic, supporting their existence in the same genetic pathway. We conclude that CaMK-II is a crucial effector of PKD2 Ca²⁺ that both promotes morphogenesis of the pronephric kidney and stabilizes primary cloacal cilia.

Global gene expression profiling in early-stage polycystic kidney disease in the Han:SPRD Cy rat identifies a role for RXR signaling

Han:SPRD Cy is a spontaneous rat model of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) caused by a missense mutation in Pkdr1. Cystogenesis in this model is not clearly understood. In the current study, we performed global gene expression profiling in early-stage PKD cyst development in Cy/Cy kidneys and normal (+/+) kidneys at 3 and 7 days of postnatal age. Expression profiles were determined by microarray analysis, followed by validation with real-time RT-PCR. Genes were selected with over 1.5-fold expression changes compared with age-matched +/+ kidneys for canonical pathway analysis. We found nine pathways in common between 3- and 7-day Cy/Cy kidneys. Three significantly changed pathways were designated "Vitamin D Receptor (VDR)/Retinoid X Receptor (RXR) Activation," "LPS/IL-1-Mediated Inhibition of RXR Function," and "Liver X Receptor (LXR)/RXR Activation." These results suggest that RXR-mediated signaling is significantly altered in developing kidneys with mutated Pkdr1. In gene ontology analysis, the functions of these RXR-related genes were found to be involved in regulating cell proliferation and organ morphogenesis. With real-time RT-PCR analysis, the upregulation of Ptx2, Alox15b, OSP, and PCNA, major markers of cell proliferation associated with the RXR pathway, were confirmed in 3- and 7-day Cy/Cy kidneys compared with 3-day +/+ kidneys. The increased RXR protein was observed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of cystic epithelial cells in early-stage Cy/Cy kidneys, and the RXR-positive cells were strongly positive for PCNA staining. Taken together, cell proliferation and organ morphogenesis signals transduced by RXR-mediated pathways may have important roles for cystogenesis in early-stage PKD in this Pkdr1-mutated Cy rat.

Cyclic AMP-mediated cyst expansion

In polycystic kidney disease (PKD), intracellular cAMP promotes cyst enlargement by stimulating mural epithelial cell proliferation and transepithelial fluid secretion. The proliferative effect of cAMP in PKD is unique in that cAMP is anti-mitogenic in normal renal epithelial cells. This phenotypic difference in the proliferative response to cAMP appears to involve cross-talk between cAMP and Ca(2+) signaling to B-Raf, a kinase upstream of the MEK/ERK pathway. In normal cells, B-Raf is repressed by Akt (protein kinase B), a Ca(2+)-dependent kinase, preventing cAMP activation of ERK and cell proliferation. In PKD cells, disruption of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis due to mutations in the PKD genes relieves Akt inhibition of B-Raf, allowing cAMP stimulation of B-Raf, ERK and cell proliferation. Fluid secretion by cystic cells is driven by cAMP-dependent transepithelial Cl(-) secretion involving apical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channels. This review summarizes the current knowledge of cAMP-dependent cyst expansion, focusing on cell proliferation and Cl(-)-dependent fluid secretion, and discusses potential therapeutic approaches to inhibit renal cAMP production and its downstream effects on cyst enlargement. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Clinical effects of calcium channel blockers and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors on changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with polycystic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

In the tubular cells of patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a reduced intracellular Ca(2+) level accelerates cell proliferation, resulting in cyst formation. Thus, whether calcium channel blockers (CCB) are useful for the treatment of hypertension in patients with PKD is questionable.

METHODS

Thirty-two outpatients with autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) were treated at Tokyo Women's Medical University between 2003 and 2008; these patients were studied retrospectively. Periods during which the antihypertensive drug prescriptions for CCB and/or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAAS-I; including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin II receptor blocker) had not been changed for at least 1 year and during which time a diuretic agent had not been prescribed were selected from among the clinical histories of the 32 outpatients. Consequently, 31 periods of 31 patients were analyzed, and mean treatment duration was 2.4 years in this study. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was used to evaluate renal function. To evaluate the influence of CCB and RAAS-I with respect to the decrease of the eGFR, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), including confounding factors [baseline eGFR, mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP)], was used. Only CCB significantly contributed to a reduction in ∆eGFR in both a univariable ANCOVA and a multivariable ANCOVA. None of the confounding factors, RAAS-I, the baseline eGFR, or blood pressure, contributed to reductions in ∆eGFR.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that from a renoprotective perspective, CCB should possibly be avoided in patients with PKD unless treatment for resistant hypertension is necessary.

Odors activate dual pathways, a TRPC2 and a AA-dependent pathway, in mouse vomeronasal neurons

Located at the anterior portion of the nose, the paired vomeronasal organs (VNO) detect odors and pheromones. In vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) odor responses are mainly mediated by phospholipase C (PLC), stimulation of which elevates diacylglycerol (DAG). DAG activates a transient receptor potential channel (TRPC2) leading to cell depolarization. In this study, we used a natural stimulus, urine, to elicit odor responses in VSNs and found urine responses persisted in TRPC2(-/-) mice, suggesting the existence of a TRPC2-independent signal transduction pathway. Using perforated patch-clamp recordings on isolated VSNs from wild-type (WT) and TRPC2(-/-) mice, we found a PLC inhibitor blocked urine responses from all VSNs. Furthermore, urine responses were reduced by blocking DAG lipase, an enzyme that produces arachidonic acid (AA), in WT mice and abolished in TRPC2(-/-) mice. Consistently, direct stimulation with AA activated an inward current that was independent of TRPC2 channels but required bath Ca(2+) and was blocked by Cd(2+). With the use of inside-out patches from TRPC2(-/-) VSNs, we show that AA activated a channel that also required Ca(2+). Together, these data from WT and TRPC2(-/-) mice suggest that both DAG and its metabolite, AA, mediate excitatory odor responses in VSNs, by activating two types of channels, a TRPC2 and a separate Ca(2+)-permeable channel.

Polycystin-1 interacts with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor to modulate intracellular Ca2+ signaling with implications for polycystic kidney disease

The PKD1 or PKD2 genes encode polycystins (PC) 1 and 2, which are associated with polycystic kidney disease. Previously we demonstrated that PC2 interacts with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R) to modulate Ca(2+) signaling. Here, we investigate whether PC1 also regulates IP(3)R. We generated a fragment encoding the last six transmembrane (TM) domains of PC1 and the C-terminal tail (QIF38), a section with the highest homology to PC2. Using a Xenopus oocyte Ca(2+) imaging system, we observed that expression of QIF38 significantly reduced the initial amplitude of IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) transients, whereas a mutation lacking the C-terminal tail did not. Thus, the C terminus is essential to QIF38 function. Co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that through its C terminus, QIF38 associates with the IP(3)-binding domain of IP(3)R. A shorter PC1 fragment spanning only the last TM and the C-terminal tail also reduced IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) release, whereas another C-terminal fragment lacking any TM domain did not. Thus, only endoplasmic reticulum-localized PC1 can modulate IP(3)R. Finally, we show that in the polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, heterologous expression of full-length PC1 resulted in a smaller IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) response. Overexpression of the IP(3)-binding domain of IP(3)R reversed the inhibitory effect of PC1, suggesting interaction of full-length PC1 (or its cleavage forms) with endogenous IP(3)R in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. These results indicate that the behavior of full-length PC1 in mammalian cells is congruent with that of PC1 C-terminal fragments in the oocyte system. These data demonstrate that PC1 inhibits Ca(2+) release, perhaps opposing the effect of PC2, which facilitates Ca(2+) release through the IP(3)R.

Polycystin-1 C-terminal cleavage is modulated by polycystin-2 expression

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is caused by mutations in the genes encoding polycystin-1 (PC-1) and polycystin-2 (PC-2). PC-1 cleavage releases its cytoplasmic C-terminal tail (CTT), which enters the nucleus. To determine whether PC-1 CTT cleavage is influenced by PC-2, a quantitative cleavage assay was utilized, in which the DNA binding and activation domains of Gal4 and VP16, respectively, were appended to PC-1 downstream of its CTT domain (PKDgalvp). Cells cotransfected with the resultant PKDgalvp fusion protein and PC-2 showed an increase in luciferase activity and in CTT expression, indicating that the C-terminal tail of PC-1 is cleaved and enters the nucleus. To assess whether CTT cleavage depends upon Ca2+ signaling, cells transfected with PKDgalvp alone or together with PC-2 were incubated with several agents that alter intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. PC-2 enhancement of luciferase activity was not altered by any of these treatments. Using a series of PC-2 C-terminal truncated mutations, we identified a portion of the PC-2 protein that is required to stimulate PC-1 CTT accumulation. These data demonstrate that release of the CTT from PC-1 is influenced and stabilized by PC-2. This effect is independent of Ca2+ but is regulated by sequences contained within the PC-2 C-terminal tail, suggesting a mechanism through which PC-1 and PC-2 may modulate a novel signaling pathway.

A novel dephosphorylation-activated conductance in a mouse renal collecting duct cell line

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common inherited renal diseases. It is associated with the progressive development of renal tubular cysts, which may subsequently lead to renal failure. Studies into the genetic basis of ADPKD have identified two genes, PKD1 and PKD2, that are mutated in ADPKD patients. The PKD1 and PKD2 genes encode for two different proteins, TRPP1 and TRPP2. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of both TRPP1 and TRPP2 in the renal collecting duct cell line M8. The aim of the following study was to investigate the functional properties of cation currents in these cells and to examine the effect of overexpression of TRPP1 using a transgenic cell model (M7). In M8 cells, initial whole cell currents were low. However, over time there was activation of a flow-sensitive current, which was inhibited by gadolinium (I(Gd)). The I(Gd) was more selective for cations over anions, but did not discriminate between monovalent cations and was Ca2+ permeable. Activation of I(Gd) was dependent on the presence of Ca2+ and also required dephosphorylation. The protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor okadaic acid prevented activation of I(Gd), suggesting that protein phosphatase 2A plays an important role in channel activation. The properties and magnitude of I(Gd) were unaffected in M7 cells, suggesting that overexpression of TRPP1 was without effect. I(Gd) was selectively inhibited by an antibody raised against the C-terminus of TRPP2. However, its selectivity profile was different to TRPP2, suggesting that it is attributable to a TRPP2-like channel or a TRPP2-containing heteromeric channel. In conclusion, these data describe the functional identification of a novel dephosphorylation- and flow-activated TRPP2-related channel in mouse collecting duct cells.

Critical role of TRPC6 channels in VEGF-mediated angiogenesis

Intracellular Ca(2+) signaling plays critical roles in VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel 6, a Ca(2+)-permeable non-selective cation channel, can be activated by VEGF. Here, we report that TRPC6 is important for VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. Inhibition of TRPC6 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by pharmacological or genetic approaches arrested HUVECs at G2/M phase and suppressed VEGF-induced HUVEC proliferation and tube formation. Furthermore, inhibition of TRPCs abolished VEGF-, but not FGF-induced angiogenesis in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. These results suggest that TRPC6 plays an important role in VEGF-mediated angiogenesis.

Deficiency of polycystic kidney disease-1 gene (PKD1) expression increases A(3) adenosine receptors in human renal cells: implications for cAMP-dependent signalling and proliferation of PKD1-mutated cystic cells

Cyst growth and expansion in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) has been attributed to numerous factors, including ATP, cAMP and adenosine signalling. Although the role of ATP and cAMP has been widely investigated in PKD1-deficient cells, no information is currently available on adenosine-mediated signalling. Here we investigate for the first time the impact of abnormalities of polycystin-1 (PC1) on the expression and functional activity of adenosine receptors, members of the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Pharmacological, molecular and biochemical findings show that a siRNA-dependent PC1-depletion in HEK293 cells and a PKD1-nonsense mutation in cyst-derived cell lines result in increased expression of the A(3) adenosine receptor via an NFkB-dependent mechanism. Interestingly, A(3) adenosine receptor levels result higher in ADPKD than in normal renal tissues. Furthermore, the stimulation of this receptor subtype with the selective agonist Cl-IB-MECA causes a reduction in both cytosolic cAMP and cell proliferation in both PC1-deficient HEK293 cells and cystic cells. This reduction is associated with increased expression of p21(waf) and reduced activation not only of ERK1/2, but also of S6 kinase, the main target of mTOR signalling. In the light of these findings, the ability of Cl-IB-MECA to reduce disease progression in ADPKD should be further investigated. Moreover, our results suggest that NFkB, which is markedly activated in PC1-deficient and cystic cells, plays an important role in modulating A(3)AR expression in cystic cells.

A tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated pathway promoting autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is caused by heterozygous mutations in either PKD1 or PKD2, genes that encode polycystin-1 and polycystin-2, respectively. We show here that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), an inflammatory cytokine present in the cystic fluid of humans with ADPKD, disrupts the localization of polycystin-2 to the plasma membrane and primary cilia through a scaffold protein, FIP2, which is induced by TNF-alpha. Treatment of mouse embryonic kidney organ cultures with TNF-alpha resulted in formation of cysts, and this effect was exacerbated in the Pkd2(+/-) kidneys. TNF-alpha also stimulated cyst formation in vivo in Pkd2(+/-) mice. In contrast, treatment of Pkd2(+/-) mice with the TNF-alpha inhibitor etanercept prevented cyst formation. These data reveal a pathway connecting TNF-alpha signaling, polycystins and cystogenesis, the activation of which may reduce functional polycystin-2 below a critical threshold, precipitating the ADPKD cellular phenotype.

Novel role for polycystin-1 in modulating cell proliferation through calcium oscillations in kidney cells

OBJECTIVES

Polycystin-1 (PC1), a signalling receptor regulating Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels, is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is typically characterized by increased cell proliferation. However, the precise mechanisms by which PC1 functions on Ca(2+) homeostasis, signalling and cell proliferation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the possible role of PC1 as a modulator of non-capacitative Ca(2+) entry (NCCE) and Ca(2+) oscillations, with downstream effects on cell proliferation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

By employing RNA interference, we show that depletion of endogenous PC1 in HEK293 cells leads to an increase in serum-induced Ca(2+) oscillations, triggering nuclear factor of activated T cell activation and leading to cell cycle progression. Consistently, Ca(2+) oscillations and cell proliferation are increased in PC1-mutated kidney cystic cell lines, but both abnormal features are reduced in cells that exogenously express PC1. Notably, blockers of the NCCE pathway, but not of the CCE, blunt abnormal oscillation and cell proliferation. Our study therefore provides the first demonstration that PC1 modulates Ca(2+) oscillations and a molecular mechanism to explain the association between abnormal Ca(2+) homeostasis and cell proliferation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Novel role for polycystin-1 in modulating cell proliferation through calcium oscillations in kidney cells

OBJECTIVES

Polycystin-1 (PC1), a signalling receptor regulating Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels, is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is typically characterized by increased cell proliferation. However, the precise mechanisms by which PC1 functions on Ca(2+) homeostasis, signalling and cell proliferation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the possible role of PC1 as a modulator of non-capacitative Ca(2+) entry (NCCE) and Ca(2+) oscillations, with downstream effects on cell proliferation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

By employing RNA interference, we show that depletion of endogenous PC1 in HEK293 cells leads to an increase in serum-induced Ca(2+) oscillations, triggering nuclear factor of activated T cell activation and leading to cell cycle progression. Consistently, Ca(2+) oscillations and cell proliferation are increased in PC1-mutated kidney cystic cell lines, but both abnormal features are reduced in cells that exogenously express PC1. Notably, blockers of the NCCE pathway, but not of the CCE, blunt abnormal oscillation and cell proliferation. Our study therefore provides the first demonstration that PC1 modulates Ca(2+) oscillations and a molecular mechanism to explain the association between abnormal Ca(2+) homeostasis and cell proliferation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystin-1 regulates skeletogenesis through stimulation of the osteoblast-specific transcription factor RUNX2-II

Polycystin-1 (PC1) may play an important role in skeletogenesis through regulation of the bone-specific transcription factor Runx2-II. In the current study we found that PC1 co-localizes with the calcium channel polycystin-2 (PC2) in primary cilia of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. To establish the role of Runx2-II in mediating PC1 effects on bone, we crossed heterozygous Pkd1(m1Bei) and Runx2-II mice to create double heterozygous mice (Pkd1(+/m1Bei)/Runx2-II(+/-)) deficient in both PC1 and Runx2-II. Pkd1(+/m1Bei)/Runx2-II(+/-) mice exhibited additive reductions in Runx2-II expression that was associated with impaired endochondral bone development, defective osteoblast-mediated bone formation, and osteopenia. In addition, we found that basal intracellular calcium levels were reduced in homozygous Pkd1(m1Bei) osteoblasts. In contrast, overexpression of a PC1 C-tail construct increased intracellular calcium and selectively stimulated Runx2-II P1 promoter activity in osteoblasts through a calcium-dependent mechanism. Site-directed mutagenesis of critical amino acids in the coiled-coil domain of PC1 required for coupling to PC2 abolished PC1-mediated Runx2-II P1 promoter activity. Additional promoter analysis mapped the PC1-responsive region to the "osteoblast-specific" enhancer element between -420 and -350 bp that contains NFI and AP-1 binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the calcium-dependent binding of NFI to this region. These findings indicate that PC1 regulates osteoblast function through intracellular calcium-dependent control of Runx2-II expression. The overall function of the primary cilium-polycystin complex may be to sense and transduce environmental clues into signals regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone development.

PKD1 inhibits cancer cells migration and invasion via Wnt signaling pathway in vitro

The approximately 14 kb mRNA of the polycystic kidney disease gene PKD1 encodes a large ( approximately 460 kDa) protein, termed polycystin-1 (PC-1), that is responsible for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The unique organization of its multiple adhesive domains (16 Ig-like domains/PKD domains) suggests that it may play an important role in cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. Here we demonstrated that PKD1 promoted cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in cancer cells, indicating that PC-1 is involved in the cell adhesion process. Furthermore in this study, we showed that PKD1 inhibited cancer cells migration and invasion. And we also showed that PC-1 regulated these processes in a process that may be at least partially through the Wnt pathway. Collectively, our data suggest that PKD1 may act as a novel member of the tumor suppressor family of genes.

Calcium channel inhibition accelerates polycystic kidney disease progression in the Cy/+ rat

In polycystic kidney disease, abnormal epithelial cell proliferation is the main factor leading to cyst formation and kidney enlargement. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is mitogenic in cystic but antimitogenic in normal human kidney cells, which is due to reduced steady-state intracellular calcium levels in cystic compared to the normal cells. Inhibition of intracellular calcium entry with channel blockers, such as verapamil, induced cAMP-dependent cell proliferation in normal renal cells. To determine if calcium channel blockers have a similar effect on cell proliferation in vivo, Cy/+ rats, a model of dominant polycystic kidney disease, were treated with verapamil. Kidney weight and cyst index were elevated in verapamil-treated Cy/+ rats. This was associated with increased cell proliferation and apoptosis, elevated expression, and phosphorylation of B-Raf with stimulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase MEK/ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular-regulated kinase) pathway. Verapamil had no effect on kidney morphology or B-Raf stimulation in wild-type rats. We conclude that treatment of Cy/+ rats with calcium channel blockers increases activity of the B-Raf/MEK/ERK pathway accelerating cyst growth in the presence of endogenous cAMP, thus exacerbating renal cystic disease.

Inhibition of TRPP3 Channel by Amiloride and Analogs

TRPP3, a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of cation channels, is a Ca2+-activated channel permeable to Ca2+, Na+, and K+. TRPP3 has been implicated in sour tasting in bipolar cells of tongue and in regulation of pH-sensitive action potential in spinal cord neurons. TRPP3 is also present in excitable and nonexcitable cells of other tissues, including retina, brain, heart, testis, and kidney, with unknown functions. In this study, we examined the functional modulation of TRPP3 channel by amiloride and its analogs, known to inhibit several ion channels and transporters and respond to all taste stimuli, using Xenopus laevis oocyte expression, electrophysiology, and radiotracer measurements. We found that amiloride and its analogs inhibit TRPP3 channel activities with different affinities. Radiolabeled (45)Ca2+ uptake showed that TRPP3-mediated Ca2+ transport was inhibited by amiloride, phenamil, benzamil, and 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA). Two-microelectrode voltage clamp experiments revealed that TRPP3-mediated Ca2+-activated currents are substantially inhibited by amiloride analogs, in an order of potency of phenamil > benzamil > EIPA > amiloride, with IC50 values of 0.14, 1.1, 10.5, and 143 microM, respectively. The inhibition potency positively correlated with the size of inhibitors. Using cell-attached patch clamping, we showed that the amiloride analogs decrease the open probability and mean open time but have no effect on single-channel conductance. Study of inhibition by phenamil in the presence of previously reported inhibitor tetrapentylammonium indicates that amiloride and organic cation inhibitors compete for binding the same site on TRPP3. TRPP3 may contribute to previously reported in vivo amiloride-sensitive cation transport.

STAM and Hrs down-regulate ciliary TRP receptors

Cilia are endowed with membrane receptors, channels, and signaling components whose localization and function must be tightly controlled. In primary cilia of mammalian kidney epithelia and sensory cilia of Caenorhabditis elegans neurons, polycystin-1 (PC1) and transient receptor polycystin-2 channel (TRPP2 or PC2), function together as a mechanosensory receptor-channel complex. Despite the importance of the polycystins in sensory transduction, the mechanisms that regulate polycystin activity and localization, or ciliary membrane receptors in general, remain poorly understood. We demonstrate that signal transduction adaptor molecule STAM-1A interacts with C. elegans LOV-1 (PC1), and that STAM functions with hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (Hrs) on early endosomes to direct the LOV-1-PKD-2 complex for lysosomal degradation. In a stam-1 mutant, both LOV-1 and PKD-2 improperly accumulate at the ciliary base. Conversely, overexpression of STAM or Hrs promotes the removal of PKD-2 from cilia, culminating in sensory behavioral defects. These data reveal that the STAM-Hrs complex, which down-regulates ligand-activated growth factor receptors from the cell surface of yeast and mammalian cells, also regulates the localization and signaling of a ciliary PC1 receptor-TRPP2 complex.

Human ADPKD primary cyst epithelial cells with a novel, single codon deletion in the PKD1 gene exhibit defective ciliary polycystin localization and loss of flow-induced Ca2+ signaling

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) gene products polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2) colocalize in the apical monocilia of renal epithelial cells. Mouse and human renal cells without PC1 protein show impaired ciliary mechanosensation, and this impairment has been proposed to promote cystogenesis. However, most cyst epithelia of human ADPKD kidneys appear to express full-length PC1 and PC2 in normal or increased abundance. We show that confluent primary ADPKD cyst cells with the novel PC1 mutation DeltaL2433 and with normal abundance of PC1 and PC2 polypeptides lack ciliary PC1 and often lack ciliary PC2, whereas PC1 and PC2 are both present in cilia of confluent normal human kidney (NK) epithelial cells in primary culture. Confluent NK cells respond to shear stress with transient increases in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), dependent on both extracellular Ca(2+) and release from intracellular stores. In contrast, ADPKD cyst cells lack flow-sensitive [Ca(2+)](i) signaling and exhibit reduced endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) stores and store-depletion-operated Ca(2+) entry but retain near-normal [Ca(2+)](i) responses to ANG II and to vasopressin. Expression of wild-type and mutant CD16.7-PKD1(115-226) fusion proteins reveals within the COOH-terminal 112 amino acids of PC1 a coiled-coil domain-independent ciliary localization signal. However, the coiled-coil domain is required for CD16.7-PKD1(115-226) expression to accelerate decay of the flow-induced Ca(2+) signal in NK cells. These data provide evidence for ciliary dysfunction and polycystin mislocalization in human ADPKD cells with normal levels of PC1.

NMR and cDNA array analysis prior to heart failure reveals an increase of unsaturated lipids, a glutamine/glutamate ratio decrease and a specific transcriptome adaptation in obese rat heart

Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure through a set of hemodynamic and hormonal adaptations, but its contribution at the molecular level is not clearly known. Therefore, we investigated the kinetic cardiac transcriptome and metabolome in the Spontaneous Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) rat. The SHHF rat is devoid of leptin signaling when homozygous for a mutation of the leptin receptor (ObR) gene. The ObR-/- SHHF rat is obese at 4 months of age and prone to heart failure after 14 months whereas its lean counterpart ObR-/+ is prone to heart failure after 16 months. We used a set of rat pangenomic high-density macroarrays to monitor left ventricle cardiac transcriptome regulation in 4- and 10-month-old, lean and obese animals. Comparative analysis of left ventricle of 4- and 10-month-old lean rat revealed 222 differentially expressed genes while 4- and 10-month-old obese rats showed 293 differentially expressed genes. (1)H NMR analysis of the metabolome of left ventricular extracts displayed a global decrease of metabolites, except for taurine, and lipid concentration. This may be attributed to gene expression regulation and likely increased extracellular mass. The glutamine to glutamate ratio was significantly lower in the obese group. The relative unsaturation of lipids increased in the obese heart; in particular, omega-3 lipid concentration was higher in the 10-month-old obese heart. Overall, several specific kinetic molecular patterns act as a prelude to heart failure in the leptin signaling deficient SHHF obese rat.

More than colocalizing with polycystin-1, polycystin-L is in the centrosome

Polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 are involved in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease by unknown mechanisms. These two proteins are located in primary cilia where they mediate mechanosensation, suggesting a link between cilia function and renal disease. In this study, we sought to characterize the subcellular localization of polycystin-L, a closely related member of polycystin-2, in epithelial renal cell lines. We have shown that endogenous polycystin-l subcellular distribution is different in proliferative and nonproliferative cultures. Polycystin-L is found mostly in the endoplasmic reticulum in subconfluent cell cultures, while in confluent cells it is redistributed to sites of cell-cell contact and to the primary cilium as is polycystin-1. Subcellular fractionation confirmed a common distribution of polycystin-L and polycystin-1 in the fractions corresponding to those containing the plasma membrane of postconfluent cells. Reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that polycystin-L was associated with polycystin-1 in a common complex in both subconfluent and confluent cell cultures. Interestingly, we also identified a novel site for a polycystin member (polycystin-L) in unciliated cells, the centrosome, which allowed us to reveal an involvement of polycystin-l in cell proliferation.

Polycystin-1, STAT6, and P100 function in a pathway that transduces ciliary mechanosensation and is activated in polycystic kidney disease

Primary cilia are implicated in the pathogenesis of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which results from defects in polycystin-1 (PC1), but the function of PC1 remains poorly understood. Here, we show that PC1 undergoes proteolytic cleavage that results in nuclear translocation of its cytoplasmic tail. The PC1 tail interacts with the transcription factor STAT6 and the coactivator P100, and it stimulates STAT6-dependent gene expression. Under normal conditions, STAT6 localizes to primary cilia of renal epithelial cells. Cessation of apical fluid flow results in nuclear translocation of STAT6. Cyst-lining cells in ADPKD exhibit elevated levels of nuclear STAT6, P100, and the PC1 tail. Exogenous expression of the human PC1 tail results in renal cyst formation in zebrafish embryos. These results identify a novel mechanism of cilia function in the transduction of a mechanical signal to changes of gene expression involving PC1 and show that this pathway is inappropriately activated in ADPKD.

Nonspecific cation current associated with native polycystin-2 in HEK-293 cells

Mutations in either PKD1 or PKD2 gene are associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, the most common inherited kidney disorder. Polycystin-2 (PC2), the PKD2 gene product, and the related protein polycystin-L, function as Ca(2+)-permeable, nonselective cation channels in different expression systems. This work describes a nonspecific cation current (I(CC)) that is present in native HEK-293 cells and highly associated with a PC2-channel activity. The current is voltage dependent, activating for potentials that are positive to -50 mV and inactivating in a few milliseconds. It is sensitive to Cd(2+), Gd(3+), La(3+), SKF96365, and amiloride. After silencing of PC2 by RNA interfering, cells show a reduced current that is restored by transfection with normal but not truncated PC2. Consistently, I(CC) is abolished by perfusion with an anti-PC2 antibody. Furthermore, heterologous expression of the PC1 cytoplasmic tail significantly increases I(CC) peak amplitude compared with native cells. This is the first characterization of such a current in HEK-293 cells, a widely used expression system for ion channels. These cells, therefore, could be regarded as a suitable and readily accessible tool to study interactions between native PC2/PC1 complex and other membrane proteins, thus contributing to the understanding of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease pathogenesis.

Apparent receptor-mediated activation of Ca2+-dependent conductive Cl−transport by shark-derived polyaminosterols

The shark liver antimicrobial polyaminosterol squalamine is an angiogenesis inhibitor under clinical investigation as an anti-cancer agent and as a treatment for the choroidal neovascularization associated with macular degeneration of the retina. The related polyaminosterol MSI-1436 is an appetite suppressant that decreases systemic insulin resistance. However, the mechanisms of action of these polyaminosterols are unknown. We report effects of MSI-1436 on Xenopus oocytes consistent with the existence of a receptor for polyaminosterols. MSI-1436 activates bidirectional, trans-chloride-independent Cl-flux in Xenopus oocytes. At least part of this DIDS-sensitive Cl−flux is conductive, as measured using two-electrode voltage-clamp and on-cell patch-clamp techniques. MSI-1436 also elevates cytosolic Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]) and increases bidirectional45Ca2+flux. Activation of Cl−flux and elevation of cytosolic [Ca2+] by MSI-1436 both are accelerated by lowering bath Ca2+and are not acutely inhibited by extracellular EGTA. Elevation of cytosolic [Ca2+] by MSI-1436 requires heparin-sensitive intracellular Ca2+stores. Although injected EGTA abolishes the increased conductive Cl−flux, that Cl−flux is not dependent on heparin-sensitive stores. In low-bath Ca2+conditions, several structurally related polyaminosterols act as strong agonists or weak agonists of conductive Cl−flux in oocytes. Weak agonist polyaminosterols antagonize the strong agonist, MSI-1436, but upon addition of the conductive Cl−transport inhibitor DIDS, they are converted into strong agonists. Together, these properties operationally define a polyaminosterol receptor at or near the surface of the Xenopus oocyte, provide an initial description of receptor signaling, and suggest routes toward further understanding of a novel class of appetite suppressants and angiogenesis inhibitors.

Expression of the polycystin-1 C-terminal cytoplasmic tail increases Cl channel activity in Xenopus oocytes

Expression of the polycystin-1 C-terminal cytoplasmic tail increases Cl(-) channel activity in Xenopus oocytes. Background. Cyst expansion in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by active Cl(-) secretion in excess of solute reabsorption. However, the connections between elevated epithelial Cl(-) secretion and loss-of-function or dysregulation of either ADPKD gene polycystin-1 (PC1) or polycystin-2 (PC2) remain little understood. Methods. Cl(-) transport in Xenopus oocytes expressing the CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226) fusion protein containing the final 112 amino acid (aa) of the PC1 C-terminal cytoplasmic tail, or in oocytes expressing related PC1 fusion protein mutants, was studied by isotopic flux, two-electrode voltage clamp, and outside-out patch clamp recording. Results. Expression in oocytes of CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226) increased rates of both influx and efflux of (36)Cl(-), whereas CD16.7-PKD1 (1-92) containing the initial 92 aa of the PC1 C-terminal cytoplasmic tail was inactive. The increased Cl(-) transport resembled CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226)-stimulated cation current in its sensitivity to ADPKD-associated missense mutations, to mutations in phosphorylation sites, and to mutations within or encroaching upon the PC1 coiled-coil domain, as well as in its partial suppression by coexpressed PC2. The NS3623- and 4, 4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2, 2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS)-sensitive (36)Cl(-) flux was not blocked by injected ethyleneglycol tetraacetate (EGTA) or by the cation channel inhibitor SKF96365, and was stimulated by the cation channel inhibitor La(3+), suggesting that CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226)-associated cation conductance was not required for (36)CI(-) flux activation. Outside-out patches from oocytes expressing CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226) also exhibited increased NS3623-sensitive Cl(-) current. Conclusion. These data show that CD16.7-PKD1 (115-226) activates Cl(-) channels in the Xenopus oocyte plasma membrane in parallel with, but not secondary to, activation of Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels.

Molecular pathogenesis of ADPKD: the polycystin complex gets complex

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common human monogenic diseases with an incidence of 1:400 to 1:1000. It is characterized by the progressive development and enlargement of focal cysts in both kidneys, typically resulting in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by the fifth decade. The cystogenic process is highly complex with a cellular phenotype consistent with "dedifferentiation" (i.e., a high proliferative rate, increased apoptosis, altered protein sorting, changed secretory characteristics, and disorganization of the extracellular matrix). Although cystic renal disease is the major cause of morbidity, the occurrence of nonrenal cysts, most notably in the liver (occasionally resulting in clinically significant polycystic liver disease) and the increased prevalence of other abnormalities including intracranial aneurysms, indicate that ADPKD is a systemic disorder. Following the identification of the first ADPKD gene, PKD1, 10 years ago and PKD2 2 years later, considerable progress has been made in defining the etiology and understanding the pathogenesis of this disorder, knowledge that is now leading to the development of several promising new therapies. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current state of knowledge as to the structure and function of the PKD1 and PKD2 proteins, polycystin-1 and -2, respectively, and explore how mutation at these loci results in the spectrum of changes seen in ADPKD.

Expression of polycystin-1 enhances endoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake and decreases capacitative calcium entry in ATP-stimulated MDCK cells

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) types 1 and 2 arise as a consequence of mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes, encoding polycystins-1 and -2. Because loss of function of either of the polycystins leads to a very similar phenotype and the two proteins are known to interact, polycystins-1 and -2 are probably active in the same pathway. The way in which loss of either polycystin leads to the development of ADPKD remains to be established, but disturbances of cell calcium regulation are likely to play an important role. Here, we demonstrate that polycystin-1, heterologously expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, had a pronounced effect on intracellular calcium homeostasis. ATP-induced calcium responses in transfection control cells exhibited a double peak and relatively gradual return to baseline. By contrast, cells expressing heterologous polycystin-1 showed a brief, uniphasic peak and an accelerated rate of decay. Heterologously expressed polycystin-1 accelerated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium reuptake and inhibited capacitative calcium entry; we found no effect of the protein on mitochondrial calcium buffering or plasma membrane calcium extrusion. We therefore propose that polycystin-1 accelerated the decay of the cell calcium response to ATP by upregulation of ER calcium reuptake and consequent minimization of the stimulus for capacitative calcium entry. It is possible that cellular dedifferentiation, fluid secretion, and proliferation might therefore arise in ADPKD as a consequence of disturbances in cytoplasmic and ER calcium homeostasis and aberrant capacitative calcium entry.

The C-terminal tail of the polycystin-1 protein interacts with the Na,K-ATPase alpha-subunit

Polycystin-1 (PC-1) is the product of the PKD1 gene, which is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. We show that the Na,K-ATPase alpha-subunit interacts in vitro and in vivo with the final 200 amino acids of the polycystin-1 protein, which constitute its cytoplasmic C-terminal tail. Functional studies suggest that this association may play a role in the regulation of the Na,K-ATPase activity. Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing the entire PC-1 protein exhibit a dramatic increase in Na,K-ATPase activity, although the kinetic properties of the enzyme remain unchanged. These data indicate that polycystin-1 may contribute to the regulation of Na,K-ATPase activity in kidneys in situ, thus modulating renal tubular fluid and electrolyte transport.

Defining the role of PfCRT in Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of a parasite protein referred to as the chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) in the molecular basis of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to the quinoline antimalarials. PfCRT, an integral membrane protein with 10 predicted transmembrane domains, is a member of the drug/metabolite transporter superfamily and is located on the membrane of the intra-erythrocytic parasite's digestive vacuole. Specific polymorphisms in PfCRT are tightly correlated with chloroquine resistance. Transfection studies have now proven that pfcrt mutations confer verapamil-reversible chloroquine resistance in vitro and reveal their important role in resistance to quinine. Available evidence is consistent with the view that PfCRT functions as a transporter directly mediating the efflux of chloroquine from the digestive vacuole.

Polycystin-1 activates the calcineurin/NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells) signaling pathway

Regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization has been associated with the functions of polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), the protein products of the PKD1 and PKD2 genes. We have now demonstrated that PC1 can activate the calcineurin/NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells) signaling pathway through Galpha(q) -mediated activation of phospholipase C (PLC). Transient transfection of HEK293T cells with an NFAT promoter-luciferase reporter demonstrated that membrane-targeted PC1 constructs containing the membrane proximal region of the C-terminal tail, which includes the heterotrimeric G protein binding and activation domain, can stimulate NFAT luciferase activity. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta by LiCl treatment further increased PC1-mediated NFAT activity. PC1-mediated activation of NFAT was completely inhibited by the calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporin A. Cotransfection of a construct expressing the Galpha(q) subunit augmented PC1-mediated NFAT activity, whereas the inhibitors of PLC (U73122) and the inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors (xestospongin and 2-aminophenylborate) and a nonspecific Ca(2+) channel blocker (gadolinium) diminished PC1-mediated NFAT activity. PC2 was not able to activate NFAT. An NFAT-green fluorescent protein nuclear localization assay demonstrated that PC1 constructs containing the C-tail only or the entire 11-transmembrane spanning region plus C-tail induced NFAT-green fluorescent protein nuclear translocation. NFAT expression was demonstrated in the M-1 mouse cortical collecting duct cell line and in embryonic and adult mouse kidneys by reverse transcriptase-PCR and immunolocalization. These data suggest a model in which PC1 signaling leads to a sustained elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) mediated by PC1 activation of Galpha(q) followed by PLC activation, release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, and activation of store-operated Ca(2+) entry, thus activating calcineurin and NFAT.

Non-selective cationic channels of smooth muscle and the mammalian homologues of Drosophila TRP

Throughout the body there are smooth muscle cells controlling a myriad of tubes and reservoirs. The cells show enormous diversity and complexity compounded by a plasticity that is critical in physiology and disease. Over the past quarter of a century we have seen that smooth muscle cells contain--as part of a gamut of ion-handling mechanisms--a family of cationic channels with significant permeability to calcium, potassium and sodium. Several of these channels are sensors of calcium store depletion, G-protein-coupled receptor activation, membrane stretch, intracellular Ca2+, pH, phospholipid signals and other factors. Progress in understanding the channels has, however, been hampered by a paucity of specific pharmacological agents and difficulty in identifying the underlying genes. In this review we summarize current knowledge of these smooth muscle cationic channels and evaluate the hypothesis that the underlying genes are homologues of Drosophila TRP (transient receptor potential). Direct evidence exists for roles of TRPC1, TRPC4/5, TRPC6, TRPV2, TRPP1 and TRPP2, and more are likely to be added soon. Some of these TRP proteins respond to a multiplicity of activation signals--promiscuity of gating that could enable a variety of context-dependent functions. We would seem to be witnessing the first phase of the molecular delineation of these cationic channels, something that should prove a leap forward for strategies aimed at developing new selective pharmacological agents and understanding the activation mechanisms and functions of these channels in physiological systems.

The N-terminal Extracellular Domain Is Required for Polycystin-1-dependent Channel Activity

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is caused by mutation of polycystin-1 or polycystin-2. Polycystin-2 is a Ca(2+)-permeable cation channel. Polycystin-1 is an integral membrane protein of less defined function. The N-terminal extracellular region of polycystin-1 contains potential motifs for protein and carbohydrate interaction. We now report that expression of polycystin-1 alone in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in PKD2-null cells can confer Ca(2+)-permeable non-selective cation currents. Co-expression of a loss-of-function mutant of polycystin-2 in CHO cells does not reduce polycystin-1-dependent channel activity. A polycystin-1 mutant lacking approximately 2900 amino acids of the extracellular region is targeted to the cell surface but does not produce current. Extracellular application of antibodies against the immunoglobulin-like PKD domains reduces polycystin-1-dependent current. These results support the hypothesis that polycystin-1 is a surface membrane receptor that transduces the signal via changes in ionic currents.

Regulation of calcium signaling by polycystin-2

Autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) is a common lethal genetic disorder characterized by progressive development of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney and other target organs. ADPKD is caused by mutations in the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, encoding the transmembrane proteins polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), respectively. Although the function and putative interacting ligands of PC1 are largely unknown, recent evidence indicates that PC2 behaves as a TRP-type Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channel. The PC2 channel is implicated in the transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+in renal epithelial cells and may be linked to the activation of subsequent signaling pathways. Recent studies also indicate that PC1 functionally interacts with PC2 such that the PC1-PC2 channel complex is an obligatory novel signaling pathway implicated in the transduction of environmental signals into cellular events. The present review purposely avoids issues of regulation of PC2 expression and trafficking and focuses instead on the evidence for the TRP-type cation channel function of PC2. How its role as a cation channel may unmask mechanisms that trigger Ca2+transport and regulation is the focus of attention. PC2 channel function may be essential in renal cell function and kidney development. Nonrenal-targeted expression of PC2 and related proteins, including the cardiovascular system, also suggests previously unforeseeable roles in signal transduction.

Deficiency of polycystin‐2 reduces Ca2+channel activity and cell proliferation in ADPKD lymphoblastoid cells

Polycystin-2 (PC2), encoded by the PKD2 gene, mutated in 10-15% of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients, is a Ca2+-permeable cation channel present in kidney epithelia and other tissues. As PC2 was found expressed in B-lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) and Ca2+ signaling pathways are important regulators of B cell function activities, we investigated whether PC2 plays some role in B-LCLs. In LCLs, PC2 was found mainly in ER membranes but ~8 times less than in kidney HEK293 cells. The same reductions were found in PKD2 and PKD1 RNA; thus, PKD genes maintained, in LCLs, the same reciprocal proportion as they do in kidney cells. In LCLs obtained from subjects carrying PKD2 mutations (PKD2-LCLs) and showing reduced PC2 levels, intracellular Ca2+ concentrations evoked by platelet-activating factor (PAF), were significantly lower than in non-PKD-LCLs. This reduction was also found in PKD1-LCLs but without PC2 reductions. Likewise, cell proliferation, which is controlled by Ca2+, was reduced in PKD2- and PKD1-LCLs. Moreover, in LCLs with PKD2 nonsense mutations, aminoglycoside antibiotics reduced the PC2 defect by promoting readthrough of stop codons. Therefore, PC2 and PC1 are functionally expressed in LCLs, which provide a model, easily obtainable from ADPKD patients, to study PKD gene expression and function.

The isolated polycystin-1 cytoplasmic COOH terminus prolongs ATP-stimulated Cl- conductance through increased Ca2+ entry

The precise steps leading from mutation of the polycystic kidney disease (PKD1) gene to the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) phenotype remain to be established. Fluid accumulation is a requirement for cyst expansion in ADPKD, suggesting that abnormal fluid secretion into the cyst lumen might play a role in disease. In this study, we sought to establish a link between polycystin-1 (the PKD1 gene product) and ATP-stimulated Cl- secretion in renal tubule cells. To do this, we performed a whole cell patch-clamp analysis of the effects of expression of the isolated cytoplasmic COOH-terminus of polycystin-1 in stably transfected mouse cortical collecting duct cells. The truncated polycystin-1 fusion protein prolonged the duration of ATP-stimulated Cl- conductance and intracellular Ca2+ responses. Both effects were dependent on extracellular Ca2+. It was determined that expression of the truncated polycystin-1 fusion protein introduced, or activated, an ATP-induced Ca2+ entry pathway that was undetectable in transfection control cell lines. Our findings are concordant with increasing evidence for a role of polycystin-1 in cell Ca2+ homeostasis and indicate that dysregulated Ca2+ entry might promote Cl- secretion and cyst expansion in ADPKD.

Polycystin-1 distribution is modulated by polycystin-2 expression in mammalian cells

Mutations in PKD1 and PKD2, the genes that encode polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 respectively, account for almost all cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Although the polycystins are believed to interact in vivo, the two proteins often display dissimilar patterns and gradients of expression during development. In an effort to understand this apparent discrepancy, we investigated how changes in polycystin-2 expression can affect the subcellular localization of polycystin-1. We show that, when polycystin-1 is expressed alone in a PKD2 null cell line, it localizes to the cell surface, as well as to the endoplasmic reticulum. When co-expressed with polycystin-2, however, polycystin-1 is not seen at the cell surface and co-localizes completely with polycystin-2 in the endoplasmic reticulum. The localization of a polycystin-1 fusion protein was similarly affected by changes in its level of expression relative to that of polycystin-2. This phenomenon was observed in populations as well as in individual COS-7 cells. Our data suggest that the localization of polycystin-1 can be regulated via the relative expression level of polycystin-2 in mammalian cells. This mechanism may help to explain the divergent patterns and levels of expression observed for the polycystins, and may provide clues as to how the function of these two proteins are regulated during development.

Calcium signalling during embryonic development

Consider a hypothetical design specification for an integrated communication-control system within an embryo. It would require short-range (subcellular) and long-range (pan-embryonic) abilities, it would have to be flexible and, at the same time, robust enough to operate in a dynamically changing environment without information being lost or misinterpreted. Although many signalling elements appear, disappear and sometimes reappear during development, it is becoming clear that embryos also depend on a ubiquitous, persistent and highly versatile signalling system that is based around a single messenger, Ca2+.

Cyclic AMP activates B-Raf and ERK in cyst epithelial cells from autosomal-dominant polycystic kidneys

BACKGROUND

The proliferation of mural epithelial cells is a major cause of progressive cyst enlargement in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates the proliferation of cells from ADPKD cysts, but not cells from normal human kidney cortex (HKC), through the activation of protein kinase A (PKA), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK). In the current study, we examined the signaling pathway between PKA and MEK in ADPKD and HKC cells.

METHODS

Primary cultures of human ADPKD and HKC cells were prepared from nephrectomy specimens. We determined the effects of cAMP and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the activation of ERK, B-Raf and Raf-1 in ADPKD and HKC cells by immune kinase assay and Western blot.

RESULTS

8-Br-cAMP increased phosphorylated ERK (2.7- +/- 0.6-fold, N = 7), and B-Raf kinase activity (3.6- +/- 1.1-fold, N = 5) in cells from ADPKD kidneys; levels of phosphorylated Raf-1 were not changed. Inhibition of PKA by H89 strikingly decreased cAMP-stimulated phosphorylation of ERK and B-Raf, and MAPK inhibition by PD98059 blocked the effect of the nucleotide to activate ERK. By contrast, in HKC cells 8-Br-cAMP did not activate B-Raf and ERK. EGF stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK and Raf-1 in both ADPKD and HKC cells, but had no effect on B-Raf. 8-Br-cAMP and EGF conjointly increased ERK activation above that of either agonist alone in ADPKD cells, and this combined effect was abolished by PD98059, indicating that ERK was activated by EGF- and cAMP-responsive cascades that converge at MAPK.

CONCLUSION

cAMP activates ERK and increases proliferation of ADPKD epithelial cells, but not cells from normal human kidney cortex, through the sequential phosphorylation of PKA, B-Raf and MAPK in a pathway separate from, but complementary to, the classical receptor tyrosine kinase cascade. Consequently, cAMP and EGF have great potential to accelerate the progressive enlargement of renal cysts.

Structure-function relationships of AE2 regulation by Ca(i)(2+)-sensitive stimulators NH(4+) and hypertonicity

We showed previously that the nonerythroid anion exchanger AE2 and the erythroid anion exchanger AE1 differ greatly in their regulation by acute changes in intracellular pH (pH(i)) and extracellular pH (pH(o)). We have now examined how AE2, but not AE1, is activated by two stimuli with opposing effects on oocyte pH(i): an alkalinizing stimulus, hypertonicity, and an acidifying stimulus, NH(4)(+). We find that both NH(2)-terminal cytoplasmic and COOH-terminal transmembrane domains of AE2 are required for activation by either stimulus. Directed by initial deletion mutagenesis studies of the NH(2)-terminal cytoplasmic domain, an alanine scan of AE2 amino acids 336-347 identified residues whose individual mutation abolished or severely attenuated sensitivity to both or only one activating stimulus. Chelation of cytoplasmic Ca(2+) (Ca(i)(2+)) diminished or abolished AE2 stimulation by NH(4)(+) and by hypertonicity. Calmidazolium inhibited AE2 activity, but not that of AE1. AE2 was insensitive to many other modifiers of Ca(2+) signaling. Unlike AE2 stimulation by NH(4)(+) and by hypertonicity, AE2 inhibition by calmidazolium required only AE2's COOH-terminal transmembrane domain.