Invalidation of TASK1 potassium channels disrupts adrenal gland zonation and mineralocorticoid homeostasis.

TASK1 (KCNK3) and TASK3 (KCNK9) are two-pore domain potassium channels highly expressed in adrenal glands. TASK1/TASK3 heterodimers are believed to contribute to the background conductance whose inhibition by angiotensin II stimulates aldosterone secretion. We used task1-/- mice to analyze the role of this channel in adrenal gland function. Task1-/- exhibited severe hyperaldosteronism independent of salt intake, hypokalemia, and arterial 'low-renin' hypertension. The hyperaldosteronism was fully remediable by glucocorticoids. The aldosterone phenotype was caused by an adrenocortical zonation defect. Aldosterone synthase was absent in the outer cortex normally corresponding to the zona glomerulosa, but abundant in the reticulo-fasciculata zone. The impaired mineralocorticoid homeostasis and zonation were independent of the sex in young mice, but were restricted to females in adults. Patch-clamp experiments on adrenal cells suggest that task3 and other K+ channels compensate for the task1 absence. Adrenal zonation appears as a dynamic process that even can take place in adulthood. The striking changes in the adrenocortical architecture in task1-/- mice are the first demonstration of the causative role of a potassium channel in development/differentiation.

Fast urinary screening of oligosaccharidoses by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Oligosaccharidoses, which belong to the lysosomal storage diseases, are inherited metabolic disorders due to the absence or the loss of function of one of the enzymes involved in the catabolic pathway of glycoproteins and indirectly of glycosphingolipids. This enzymatic deficiency typically results in the abnormal accumulation of uncompletely degraded oligosaccharides in the urine. Since the clinical features of many of these disorders are not specific for a single enzyme deficiency, unambiguous screening is critical to limit the number of costly enzyme assays which otherwise must be performed. METHODS: Here we provide evidence for the advantages of using a MALDI-TOF/TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight) mass spectrometric (MS) method for screening oligosaccharidoses. Urine samples from previously diagnosed patients or from unaffected subjects were randomly divided into a training set and a blind testing set. Samples were directly analyzed without prior treatment. RESULTS: The characteristic MS and MS/MS molecular profiles obtained allowed us to identify fucosidosis, aspartylglucosaminuria, GM1 gangliosidosis, Sandhoff disease, α-mannosidosis, sialidosis and mucolipidoses type II and III. CONCLUSIONS: This method, which is easily run in less than 30 minutes, is performed in a single step, and is sensitive and specific. Invaluable for clinical chemistry purposes this MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry procedure is semi-automatizable and suitable for the urinary screening of oligosacharidoses.

Refractory epilepsy and mitochondrial dysfunction due to GM3 synthase deficiency.

We report two children, born from consanguineous parents, who presented with early-onset refractory epilepsy associated with psychomotor delay, failure to thrive, blindness and deafness. Polarographic and spectrophotometric analyses in fibroblasts and liver revealed a respiratory chain (RC) dysfunction. Surprisingly, we identified a homozygous nonsense mutation in the GM3 synthase gene by using exome sequencing. GM3 synthase catalyzes the formation of GM3 ganglioside from lactosylceramide, which is the first step in the synthesis of complex ganglioside species. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the complete absence of GM3 ganglioside and its biosynthetic derivatives was associated with an upregulation of the alternative globoside pathway in fibroblasts. The accumulation of Gb3 and Gb4 globosides likely has a role in RC dysfunction and in the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential leading to apoptosis, which we observed in fibroblasts. We show for the first time that GM3 synthase deficiency, responsible for early-onset epilepsy syndrome, leads to a secondary RC dysfunction. Our study highlights the role of secondary mitochondrial disorders that can interfere with the diagnosis and the evolution of other metabolic diseases.

Pyruvate shuttle in muscle cells: high-affinity pyruvate transport sites insensitive to trans-lactate efflux.

The specificity of the transport mechanisms for pyruvate and lactate and their sensitivity to inhibitors were studied in L6 skeletal muscle cells. Trans- and cis-lactate effects on pyruvate transport kinetic parameters were examined. Pyruvate and lactate were transported by a multisite carrier system, i.e., by two families of sites, one with low affinity and high capacity (type I sites) and the other with high affinity and low capacity (type II). The multisite character of transport kinetics was not modified by either hydroxycinnamic acid (CIN) or p-chloromercuribenzylsulfonic acid (PCMBS), which exert different types of inhibition. The transport efficiency (TE) ratios of maximal velocity to the trans-activation dissociation constant (Kt) showed that lactate and pyruvate were preferentially transported by types I and II sites, respectively. The cis-lactate effect was observed with high Ki values for both sites. The trans-lactate effect on pyruvate transport occurred only on type I sites and exhibited an asymmetric interaction pattern (Kt of inward lactate > Kt of outward lactate). The inability of lactate to trans-stimulate type II sites suggests that intracellular lactate cannot recruit these sites. The high-affinity type II sites act as a specific pyruvate shuttle and constitute an essential relay for the intracellular lactate shuttle.

Proximal renal tubular acidosis in TASK2 K+ channel-deficient mice reveals a mechanism for stabilizing bicarbonate transport.

The acid- and volume-sensitive TASK2 K+ channel is strongly expressed in renal proximal tubules and papillary collecting ducts. This study was aimed at investigating the role of TASK2 in renal bicarbonate reabsorption by using the task2 -/- mouse as a model. After backcross to C57BL6, task2 -/- mice showed an increased perinatal mortality and, in adulthood, a reduced body weight and arterial blood pressure. Patch-clamp experiments on proximal tubular cells indicated that TASK2 was activated during HCO3- transport. In control inulin clearance measurements, task2 -/- mice showed normal NaCl and water excretion. During i.v. NaHCO3 perfusion, however, renal Na+ and water reabsorption capacity was reduced in -/- animals. In conscious task2 -/- mice, blood pH, HCO3- concentration, and systemic base excess were reduced but urinary pH and HCO3- were increased. These data suggest that task2 -/- mice exhibit metabolic acidosis caused by renal loss of HCO3-. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate the specific coupling of TASK2 activity to HCO3- transport through external alkalinization. The consequences of the task2 gene inactivation in mice are reminiscent of the clinical manifestations seen in human proximal renal tubular acidosis syndrome.