Reconstitution into liposomes of glucose active transport from the rabbit renal proximal tubule. Characteristics of the system

This paper describes the characteristics of Na⁺-dependent d-glucose transport into liposomes made from soybean phospholipids into which have been reconstituted detergent-solubilized components from the rabbit renal proximal tubular brush border membrane. Conditions for optimal and quantitative reconstitution of glucose carriers are defined. Na⁺-dependent d-glucose uptake occurs via a saturable system with a $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ of 0.125–0.135 mM, is responsive to the volume of the internal liposomal space, and shows ‘overshoot’ as seen in natural membranes. The rate of Na⁺-dependent d-glucose uptake and the magnitude of the ‘overshoot’ are proportional to the concentration of protein used in reconstitution.     

Interactions between Na+-dependent uptake of d-glucose,phosphate and l-alanine in rat renal brush border membrane vesicles

d-Glucose decreases phosphate reabsorption in rat proximal tubule. It is also postulated that some amino acids interact with phosphate reabsorption. To investigate the mechanism of these interactions, phosphate, d-glucose and l-alanine transport kinetics were measured in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from superficial rat kidney cortex by the calcium precipitation technique. At pH 7.4, Na⁺-dependent phosphate transport was inhibited in the presence of either d-glucose (39 mM) or l-alanine (2.4 mM). In this model, with d-glucose or with l-alanine the $\text{V}$ value of the phosphate uptake was decreased, whereas the apparent $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ for the phosphate uptake was not affected. However, some inhibition of phosphate transport was observed in the presence of l-glucose, d-alanine or d-glucose after phlorizin preincubation. A 30% Na⁺-dependent l-alanine (0.1 mM) transport inhibition was observed in the presence of 5 mM phosphate. d-Glucose (1 mM) was also inhibited by 20% when 5 mM phosphate was added to incubation medium. According to several authors, in our model, d-glucose decreased the l-alanine transport and vice versa. Moreover, when the membrane potential was abolished, a clear inhibition of d-glucose by l-alanine persisted. These multiple interactions could be explained by the accelerated dissipation of the Na⁺ gradient insofar as the rate of the Na⁺ uptake was increased with d-glucose, l-alanine or phosphate and since the absence of variations in membrane potential did not suppress these inhibitions.     

Na+-independent l-arginine transport in rabbit renal brush border membrane vesicles

Na⁺-independent l-arginine uptake was studied in rabbit renal brush border membrane vesicles. The finding that steady-state uptake of l-arginine decreased with increasing extravesicular osmolality and the demonstration of accelerative exchange diffusion after preincubation of vesicles with l-arginine, but not d-arginine, indicated that the uptake of l-arginine in brush border vesicles was reflective of carrier-mediated transport into an intravesicular space. Accelerative exchange diffusion of l-arginine was demonstrated in vesicles preincubated with l-lysine and l-ornithine, but not l-alanine or l-proline, suggesting the presence of a dibasic amino acid transporter in the renal brush border membrane. Partial saturation of initial rates of l-arginine transport was found with extravesicular [arginine] varied from 0.005 to 1.0 mM. l-Arginine uptake was inhibited by extravesicular dibasic amino acids unlike the Na⁺-independent uptake of l-alanine, l-glutamate, glycine or l-proline in the presence of extravesicular amino acids of similar structure. l-Arginine uptake was increased by the imposition of an H⁺ gradient (intravesicular pH<extravesicular pH) and H⁺ gradient stimulated uptake was further increased by FCCP. These findings demonstrate membrane-potential-sensitive, Na⁺-independent transport of l-arginine in brush border membrane vesicles which differs from Na⁺-independent uptake of neutral and acidic amino acids. Na⁺-independent dibasic amino acid transport in membrane vesicles is likely reflective of Na⁺-independent transport of dibasic amino acids across the renal brush border membrane.     

Synthesis of phlorizin derivatives and their inhibitory effect on the renal sodium/d-glucose cotransport system

To characterize further the Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system in renal brush border membranes, phlorizin - a potent inhibitor of d-glucose transport - has been chemically modified without affecting the d-glucose moiety or changing the side groups that are essential for the binding of phlorizin to the Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system. One series of chemical modifications involved the preparation of 3-nitrophlorizin and the subsequent catalytic reduction of the nitro compound to 3-aminophlorizin. From 3-aminophlorizin, 3-bromoacetamido-, 3-dansyl- and 3-azidophlorizin have been synthesized. In another approach, 3′-mercuryphlorizin was obtained by reaction of phlorizin with Hg(II) acetate. The phlorizin derivatives inhibit sodium-dependent but not sodium-independent d-glucose uptake by hog renal brush border membrane vesicles in the following order of potency: 3′-mercuryphlorizin = phlorizin > 3-aminophlorizin > 3-bromoacetamidophlorizin > 3-azidophlorizin > 3-nitrophlorizin > 3-dansylphlorizin. 3-Bromoacetamidophlorizin - a potential affinity label - also inhibits sodium-dependent but not sodium-independent phlorizin binding to brush border membranes. In addition, sodium-dependent phosphate and sodium-dependent alanine uptake are not affected by 3-bromoacetamidophlorizin. The results described above indicate that specific modifications of the phlorizin molecule at the A-ring or B-ring are possible that yield phlorizin derivatives with a high affinity and high specificity for the renal Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system. Such compounds should be useful in future studies using affinity labeling (3-bromoacetamido- and 3-azidophlorizin) or fluorescent probes (3-dansylphlorizin).     

Effects of ethanol in vitro on rat intestinal brush-border membranes

Ethanol, at concentrations found in the intestinal lumen after moderate drinking, has been shown to inhibit carrier-mediated intestinal transport processes. This inhibition could occur by direct interaction with membrane transporters, dissipation of the energy producing Na⁺ electrochemical gradient and/or nonspecific alteration of membrane integrity. The latter alteration may be reflected by changes in membrane fluidity, chemical composition or vesicular size. These possibilities were examined with studies in purified brush border membrane vesicles of rat intestine. Ethanol inhibited concentrative Na⁺-dependent d-glucose uptake in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, ethanol did not inhibit concentrative d-glucose uptake under conditions of d-glucose trans-stimulation in the absence of a Na⁺ electrochemical gradient. Ethanol also inhibited initial, concentrative Na⁺-dependent taurocholic acid uptake, as well as equilibrium uptake. That ethanol exerted a dual effect on transport by increasing membrane conductance for Na⁺ while decreasing intravesicular space was supported by direct studies of Na⁺ uptake. Morphometric analysis confirmed that ethanol-treated membranes had a decreased intravesicular size when compared to untreated membranes. Finally, membrane fluidity measured by EPR showed that ethanol had a significant fluidizing effect without producing qualitative changes in membrane proteins, as determined by SDS gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that ethanol inhibits carrier-mediated transport by dissipation of the Na⁺ electrochemical gradient and alteration of membrane integrity rather than by direct interaction with membrane transporters.     

Na+-dependent transport of glycine in renal brush border membrane vesicles: Evidence for a single specific transport system

The uptake of glycine in rabbit renal brush border membrane vesicles was shown to consist of glycine transport into an intravesicular space. An Na⁺ electrochemical gradient (extravesicular>intravesicular) stimulated the initial rate of glycine uptake and effected a transient accumulation of intravesicular glycine above the steady-state value. This stimulation could not be induced by the imposition of a K⁺, Li⁺ or choline⁺ gradient and was enhanced as extravesicular Na⁺ was increased from 10 mM to 100 mM. Dissipation of the Na⁺ gradient by the ionophore gramicidin D resulted in diminished Na⁺-stimulated glycine uptake. Na⁺-stimulated uptake of glycine was electrogenic. Substrate-velocity analysis of Na⁺-dependent glycine uptake over the range of amino acid concentrations from 25 μM to 10 mM demonstrated a single saturable transport system with apparent K_m = 996 μM and V_max = 348 pmol glycine/mg protein per min. Inhibition observed when the Na⁺-dependent uptake of 25 μM glycine was inhibited by 5 mM extravesicular test amino acid segregated dibasic amino acids, which did not inhibit glycine uptake, from all other amino acid groups. The amino acids d-alanine, d-glutamic acid, and d-proline inhibited similarly to their l counterparts. Accelerative exchange of extravesicular [³H]glycine was demonstrated when brush border vesicles were preloaded with glycine, but not when they were preloaded with l-alanine, l-glutamic acid, or with l-proline. It is concluded that a single transport system exists at the level of the rabbit renal brush border membrane that functions to reabsorb glycine independently from other groups of amino acids.     

Synthesis of phlorizin derivatives and their inhibitory effect on the renal sodium/d-glucose cotransport system

To characterize further the Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system in renal brush border membranes, phlorizin - a potent inhibitor of d-glucose transport - has been chemically modified without affecting the d-glucose moiety or changing the side groups that are essential for the binding of phlorizin to the Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system. One series of chemical modifications involved the preparation of 3-nitrophlorizin and the subsequent catalytic reduction of the nitro compound to 3-aminophlorizin. From 3-aminophlorizin, 3-bromoacetamido-, 3-dansyl- and 3-azidophlorizin have been synthesized. In another approach, 3′-mercuryphlorizin was obtained by reaction of phlorizin with Hg(II) acetate. The phlorizin derivatives inhibit sodium-dependent but not sodium-independent d-glucose uptake by hog renal brush border membrane vesicles in the following order of potency: 3′-mercuryphlorizin = phlorizin > 3-aminophlorizin > 3-bromoacetamidophlorizin > 3-azidophlorizin > 3-nitrophlorizin > 3-dansylphlorizin. 3-Bromoacetamidophlorizin - a potential affinity label - also inhibits sodium-dependent but not sodium-independent phlorizin binding to brush border membranes. In addition, sodium-dependent phosphate and sodium-dependent alanine uptake are not affected by 3-bromoacetamidophlorizin. The results described above indicate that specific modifications of the phlorizin molecule at the A-ring or B-ring are possible that yield phlorizin derivatives with a high affinity and high specificity for the renal Na⁺/d-glucose cotransport system. Such compounds should be useful in future studies using affinity labeling (3-bromoacetamido- and 3-azidophlorizin) or fluorescent probes (3-dansylphlorizin).     

The binding of phloridzin to the isolated luminal membrane of the renal proximal tubule

The binding of [³H]ploridzin by isolated luminal membranes of the rabbit proximal tubule and by slices of rabbit kidney cortex was studied.Kinetic analyses of the relationship between the concentration of phloridizin in the incubation medium and the binding of phloridzin to the membrane indicated two distinct classes of receptors sites. One class, comprising high affinity sites, reached saturation at 20–25 μM phloridzin, had a K(phloridzin) of 8 μM, and 8·10⁺² nmoles interacted with 1 mg of brush border protein. The other class, comprising low affinity sites, had a K(phloridzin) of 2.5 mM, and the number of binding sites was 1.25 nmoles/mg Na⁺ was required for the binding of phloridzin at the high affinity sites. Na⁺ decreased the apparent K_i for phloridzin; the apparent V of binding was not altered. Binding at the low affinity sites was independent of Na⁺. Ca²⁺ was necessary for maximal binding at the high affinity sites. Binding of phloridzin at high affinity sites was more sensitive to N-ethylmalcimide and mersalyl than was binding at low affinity sites. Binding at high affinity sites, but not at low affinity sites, was temperature dependent.d-Glucose was a competitive inhibitor of the high affinity binding of phloridzin. The apparent K₁ was 1 mM. D-Glucoe inhibited non-competitively at the low affinity sites. l-Glucose had no influence on phloridzin binding. Phloretin was a competitive inhibitor of high affinity phloridzin binding with an apparent K_i of 16 μM. Phloretin inhibited low affinity bindings of phloridizin non-competitively. Binding of phloridzin at high affinity sites was completely reversible. Binding at low affinity sites was only partially reversed. Phloridzin bound at high affinity sites on the brush border was displaced by phloridzin and phloretin but not by d-glucose.The mechanism of the high affinity binding of phloridzin was distinguished from that of the initial interaction of d-glucose with the membrane. Binding of phloridzin required Na⁺, whereas the interaction of d-glucose with the membranes had a prominent Na⁺-independent component.Intact renal cells in cortical slices accumulated phloridzin. The uptake did not saturate, was Na⁺ independent, and was not competitively inhibited by sugars. These characteristics resemble those for the low affinity binding of phloridzin by isolated membranes. It is suggested that low affinity binding may represent an initial binding followed by uptake of the glycoside into membrane vesicles.     

Phenylalanine uptake in isolated renal brush border vesicles

The uptake of l-phenylalanine into brush border microvilli vesicles and basolateral plasma membrane vesicles isolated from rat kidney cortex by differential centrifugation and free flow electrophoresis was investigated using filtration techniques.Brush border microvilli but not basolateral plasma membrane vesicles take up l-phenylalanine by an Na⁺-dependent, saturable transport system. The apparent affinity of the transport system for l-phenylalanine is 6.1 mM at 100 mM Na⁺ and for Na⁺ 13 mM at 1 mM l-phenylalanine. Reduction of the Na⁺ concentration reduces the apparent affinity of the transport system for l-phenylalanine but does not alter the maximum velocity.In the presence of an electrochemical potential difference for Na⁺ across the membrane (η_Na0 >η_Na1) the brush border microvilli accumulate transiently l-phenylalanine over the concentration in the incubation medium (overshoot phenomenon). This overshoot and the initial rate of uptake are markedly increased when the intravesicular space is rendered electrically more negative by membrane diffusion potentials induced by the use of highly permeant anions, of valinomycin in the presence of an outwardly directed K⁺ gradient and of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone in the presence of an outward-directed proton gradient.These results indicate that the entry of l-phenylalanine across the brush border membrane into the proximal tubular epithelial cells involves cotransport with Na⁺ and is dependent on the concentration difference of the amino acid, on the concentration difference of Na⁺ and on the electrical potential difference. The exit of l-phenylalanine across the basolateral plasma membranes is Na⁺-independent and probably involves facilitated diffusion.     

Transport of β-alanine in renal brush border membrane vesicles

The findings that the equilibrium uptake of β-alanine decreased with increasing medium osmolarity and preincubation with β-alanine increased uptake of the amino acid indicate that the uptake of β-alanine by rabbit renal brush border membranes represents transport into membrane vesicles. A Na⁺ electrochemical gradient (extravesicular > intravesicular) stimulated the initial rate of β-alanine uptake about three times and effected a transient accumulation of the amino acid twice the equilibrium value. Stimulation of the uptake was specific for Na⁺. Gramicidin abolished the overshoot, presumably by dissipating the gradient by accelerating the electrogenic entrance of Na⁺ into the vesicle via a pathway not coupled to uptake of β-alanine. In K⁺-loaded vesicle, valinomycin enhanced the Na⁺ gradient-dependent uptake of β-alanine. These findings indicate that the Na⁺ gradient-dependent transport of β-alanine is an electrogenic process and suggest that the membrane potential is a determinant of β-analine transport. Uptake of β-aniline, at a given concentration, reflected the sum of contributions from Na⁺ gradient-dependent and -independent transport systems. The dependent system saturated at 100 μM. The independent system did not saturate. At physiological concentrations the rate of the Na⁺ gradient-dependent uptake was four times that in the absence of the gradient. The Na⁺ gradient-dependent rate of β-alanine uptake was strongly inhibited by taurine, suggesting that β-amino acids have a common transport system, α-Amino acids, i.e. l-arginine, l-glutamate, l-proline, and glycine, representing previously reported specific α-amino acid transport systems in the brush border membrane, did not inhibit the uptake of β-alanine. These findings indicate that the brush border membrane has a distinct transport system for β-amino acids.     

Transport of p-aminohippuric acid,uric acid and glucose in highly purified rabbit renal brush border membranes

A procedure for preparing highly purified brush border membranes from rabbit kidney cortex using differential and density gradient centrifugation is described. Brush border membranes prepared by this procedure were substantially free of basal-lateral membranes, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear material as evidenced by an enrichment factor of less than 0.3 for (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and DNA. Alkaline phosphatase was enriched ten fold indicating that the membranes were enriched at least 30 fold with respect to other cellular organelles. The yield of brush border membranes was 20%.Transport of d-glucose by the membranes was identical to that previously reported except that the Arrhenius plot for temperature dependence of transport was curvilinear (E_A = 11.3–37.6 kcal/mol) rather than biphasic. Transport of p-aminohippuric acid and uric acid were increased by the presence of NaCl, either gradient or preequilibrated. However, no overshoot was obtained in the presence of a NaCl gradient, and KCl and LiCl also produced equivalent stimulation of transport suggesting a nonspecific ionic strength effect. Uptakes of p-aminohippuric acid and uric acid were not saturable, and were increased markedly by reducing the pH from 7.5 to 5.6. Probenecid (1 mM) reduced p-aminohippuric acid and uric acid (50 μM) uptake by 49% and 21%, respectively. We conclude that the uptake of uric acid and p-aminohippuric acid by renal brush border membranes of the rabbit occurs primarily by a simple solubility-diffusion mechanism.     

Na+ transport by human placental brush border membranes: Are there several mechanisms?

Na⁺ transport was evaluated in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the human placental villous tissue. Na⁺ uptake was assayed by the rapid filtration technique in the presence and the absence of an uphill pH gradient. Amiloride strongly decreased Na⁺ uptake whether a pH gradient was present or not. In pH gradient conditions (pH 7.5 in and 9.0 out), 1 mM amiloride decreased the 10 mM Na⁺ uptake by 84%. In the absence of pH gradient (pH 7.5 in and out), Na⁺ uptake was lower but still sensitive to amiloride. The Lineweaver-Burk plot of Na⁺ uptake consistently showed a single kinetics. Increasing the pH gradient decreased Km values of the amiloride-sensitive Na⁺ uptake, leaving the Vmax unchanged. In the absence of a pH gradient, the amiloride sensitive Na⁺ transport was maximal at pH 7.5. Here again, a single kinetics was observed, and pH influenced exclusively the Km of Na⁺. Since ethylisopropylamiloride, the specific Na/H exchanger inhibitor mimicked the effects of amiloride, decreasing by 98% the 10 mM Na⁺ uptake, whereas benzamil, the Na⁺ channel blocker, had no effect, it was concluded that the amiloride sensitive Na⁺ uptake was predominantly or exclusively due to a Na⁺-H⁺ exchanger activity. K⁺ in trans-position significantly decreased the amiloride sensitive uptake. In contrast, the presence of the cation in cis-position had no effect. The amiloride resistant Na⁺ transport was neither influenced by pH, nor saturable. Incubation of the placental tissue with 100 μM or 1 mM dibutyryl cAMP, 0.1 or 1 μM phorbol myristate acetate, 10⁻⁷ M insulin, 10⁻¹⁰ M angiotensin II, or 10⁻⁸ M human parathyroid hormone (PTH) did not influence Na⁺ transport by subsequently prepared brush border membranes. Finally, we failed to demonstrate any Na⁺-H⁺ exchange activity in the basal plasma membrane. These results indicate that (1) in the absence of co-substrates such as phosphate and aminoacids, the Na⁺-H⁺ exchange is probably the unique mechanism of Na⁺ transport by the placental brush border membrane, (2) the placental isoform of the exchanger is not regulated by PTH, angiotensin, nor insulin and, therefore, is different from the isoform present in the renal brush border membrane, and (3) there is no exchanger activity in the basal plasma membrane. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Glycodeoxycholate transport in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from rat jejunum and ileum

The transport of the bile salt, glycodeoxycholate, was studied in vesicles derived from rat jejunal and ileal brush border membranes using a rapid filtration technique. The uptake was osmotically sensitive, linearly related to membrane protein and resembled d-glucose transport. In ileal, but not jejunal, vesicles glycodeoxycholate uptake showed a transient vesicle/medium ratio greater than 1 in the presence of an initial sodium gradient. The differences between glycodeoxycholate uptake in the presence and absence of a Na⁺ gradient yielded a saturable transport component. Kinetic analysis revealed a $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ value similar to that described previously in everted whole intestinal segments and epithelial cells isolated from the ileum. These findings support the existence of a transport system in the brush border membrane that: (1) reflects kinetics and characteristics of bile salt transport in intact intestinal preparations, and (2) catalyzes the co-transport of Na⁺ and bile salt across the ileal membrane in a manner analogous to d-glucose transport.     

Carrier-mediated transfer of d-glucose in brush border vesicles derived rom rabbit renal tubules. Na+-dependent versus Na+-independent transfer

A brush border preparation from rabbit renal tubules containing a high yield of vesicles has been used to study the transfer of d-glucose through the brush border membrane. In the presence of an Na⁺ gradient across the vesicular membrane, the vesicles could concentrate d-glucose to a factor of 1.5, whereas in the absence of an Na⁺ gradient, only equilibrium with the medium was achieved. Two types of transfer could be distinguished by their requirement of Na⁺, their sensitivity to phlorizin and their pH optimum. The Na⁺-independent transfer was about 100 times less sensitive to phlorizin than the Na⁺-dependent path and exhibited a pH optimum between 7 and 8, whereas the Na⁺-dependent transfer was highest at a pH between 8 and 9.The brush border preparation could be freed of most of the contaminating material derived from the basal and lateral tubular cell membrane by a discontinuous density gradient centrifugation. It still showed both forms of transfer to a similar extent, indicating that both are located in the brush border membrane.A study of the sensitivity of d-glucose transfer to phlorizin, in the presence and absence of Na⁺ at different temperature, suggests a single carrier species functioning in two interchangeable conformational states with different affinities for phlorizin rather than two transfer systems working independently.     

The biguanide inhibition of d-glucose transport in membrane vesicles from small intestinal brush borders

Biguanides inhibit d-glucose uptake in vesicles from small-intestinal brush border membranes. Evidence is presented that this inhibition is due to a reduced concentration of Na⁺ in the microenvironment of the carrier(s) for d-glucose. Biguanides do not inhibit the uptake of either d-fructose or l-glucose.     

Effect of acetate on transport of organic acid (fluorescein) in renal proximal tubules of frog

The effect of acetate on active fluorescein transport in intact proximal tubules of surviving frog kidney was studied. When the kidneys were incubated in a 120 mM Na⁺ medium, 10 mM acetate stimulated fluorescein uptake in the tubules. The stimulation was more pronounced if the kidneys had been previously preincubated for 3 h in the substrate-free solution. Lowering of the Na⁺ concentration in the bathing medium to 10 mM resulted in the disappearance of the acetate effect. Preincubation of the kidneys with acetate at 2–4°C gave rise to stimulation of the fluorescein transport only in the 120 mM Na⁺ acetate-free medium. The acetate effect on the fluorescein uptake was partially prevented by ouabain. The stimulation of the uptake by acetate in the 120 mM Na⁺ medium correlated with an increase in the extent of reduction of pyridine nucleotides in the tubules. The pyridine nucleotides were reduced more markedly after incubation of the kidneys in the 10 mM Na⁺ medium, when acetate had no effect on the fluorescein transport. In both the 120 mM and the 10 mM Na⁺ media, the cold preincubation of the kidneys with 2.5 mM ADP or 2.5 mM ATP resulted in only slight stimulation of the fluorescein uptake. But in both media the uptake was significantly enhanced after cold preincubation of the kidneys with 2 mM NADH. After the cold precincubation with ADP, stimulation of the fluorescein transport by acetate was observed in the case of the 10 mM Na⁺ medium also. The absence of any stimulatory effect of acetate on the organic acid transport in the 10 mM Na⁺ medium is explained as the result of the transformation of mitochondria in the tubular cells into the inactive state 4 due to a decrease in the intracellular ADP level. Reducing equivalents are supposed to take part in energization and/or regulation of transport processes in plasma membranes of the renal proximal tubules.     

Na-dependent transport of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates by renal brush border membranes. Effects on fluorescence of a potential-sensitive cyanine dye

The effect of the transport of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates on the membrane potential of renal brush border vesicles was studied using fluorescence of the cyanine dye, 3,3′-dipropylthiadicarbocyanine iodide. The behavior of the dye in the preparation was established with valinomycin-induced K⁺-diffusion potentials; increases in fluorescence were associated with depolarizing conditions. Addition of 1 mM succinate or citrate to membrane/dye suspensions produced transient increases in fluorescence, indicative of a depolarizing event(s) associated with the transport of these substrates. The transient response in fluorescence was Na⁺ dependent, of greater magnitude under Na⁺-gradient as compared to Na⁺-equilibrium conditions, and was a saturable function of substrate concentration. The specificity of the fluorescence response was identical to that obtained from studies of the competitive inhibition of succinate transport by tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and analogs. We conclude that the major tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates are transported via a common Na⁺-dependent transport system in renal brush border membranes.     

Reconstitution of cAMP-Dependent protein kinase regulated renal Na+−H+ exchanger

Summary Studies were performed to determine if the Na⁺–H⁺ exchanger, solubilized from renal brush border membranes from the rabbit and assayed in reconstituted artificial proteoliposomes, could be regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Octyl glucoside solubilized renal apical membrane proteins from the rabbit kidney were phosphorylated by incubation with ATP and highly purified catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent kinase.²²Na⁺ uptake was determined subsequently after reconstitution of the proteins into proteoliposomes. cAMP-dependent protein kinase resulted in sustained protein phosphorylation and a concentration-dependent decrease in the amiloride-sensitive component of pH gradient-stimulated sodium uptake. The inhibitory effect of cAMP-dependent protein kinase demonstrated an absolute requirement for ATP and was blocked by the specific protein inhibitor of this kinase. cAMP-dependent protein kinase also inhibited²²Na⁺ uptake in the absence of a pH gradient (pH_in 6.0. pH_out 6.0) and the inhibitory effect was blocked by the specific inhibitor of the kinase. Solubilized membrane proteins exhibited little endogenous protein kinase or protein phosphatase activity.These studies indicate that Na⁺–H⁺ exchange activity of proteoliposomes reconstituted with proteins from renal brush border membranes is inhibited by phosphorylation of selected proteins by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. These findings also indicate that the regulatory components of the Na⁺–H⁺ exchanger remain active during the process of solubilization and reconstitution of renal apical membrane proteins.     

Transport of l-arginine in brush border vesicles derived from rabbit kidney cortex

The uptake of l-arginine by brush border vesicles from rabbit kidney cortex was investigated at 37 °C and pH 7.5. The initial rate of uptake (15 s) was twice as fast in a highly purified brush border as in brush border contaminated by basal-lateral plasma membranes. The initial uptake in a mannitol medium can be best described as the sum of transfer by two systems with K_m values of 0.07 and 3.5 mm and V_max values of 1.5 and 8 nmol/mg protein × 15 s, respectively. For the inhibitors of l-[¹⁴C]arginine, uptake (15 s at two substrate concentrations of 0.1 and 2.5 mm in a mannitol medium) the following sequence of inhibitory strength was established: l-arginine, l-ornithine, l-cystine, l-lysine, d-arginine, and NaCl. When a vesicular membrane potential was induced transiently by a jump of the pH in the incubation medium from 5.9 to 7.5 or by an outward movement of K⁺ in the presence of gramicidin D, an overshoot of l-arginine uptake was observed. Initial uptake of l-arginine was slightly faster in the presence of a Na⁺ gradient (outside to inside) than under a K⁺ gradient. Both ion gradients reduced uptake as compared to the uptake in a mannitol medium. Uptake was also studied after the membrane potential was minimized by equilibrating the vesicles in a NaCl or KC1 medium in the presence of gramicidin D. Under these conditions, l-arginine uptake in the first 30 s was faster in the NaCl than in the KCl medium. These experiments indicate, beside a major ion-independent l-arginine transport, the presence of a transport stimulated by Na⁺ in isolated brush border vesicles.