Effect of reagents of protein functional groups on the ADH-induced urea facilitated transport across toad urinary bladder

1--The mechanism of the vasopressin-induced, facilitated transport across toad urinary bladder was studied by treating the luminal membrane of the epithelium with the following reagents of protein functional groups: NEM (SH groups), SITS (amino groups), EEDQ (carboxylic groups), DEPC (histidine). 2--Treatment of the luminal side of the epithelium by NEM strongly inhibits the ADH-induced urea transport, leaving unmodified the effect of the hormone on the flux of antipyrine, a lipid soluble molecule. These results confirm the hypothesis that the urea carrier is of proteic nature. 3--Treatment of the luminal side by SITS strongly inhibits ADH action on urea and antipyrine permeability; thus this effect can be considered rather unspecific. 4--On the contrary the EEDQ effect is more specific; in fact treatment of the luminal side by EEDQ strongly inhibits ADH effect on the permeability of urea, slightly increasing the ADH effect on that of antipyrine. 5--Finally, the luminal treatment by diethylpyrocarbonate inhibits almost completely the ADH action on the urea fluxes, slightly increasing the hormone effect on the antipyrine ones. 6--Based on these results we conclude that carboxylic groups and the imidazolic ring are more important than the amino groups in determining the urea transport across toad bladder, in the presence of ADH.