Loss of the normal epicardial to endocardial gradient of cftr mRNA expression in the hypertrophied rabbit left ventricle.

The electrical instability of hypertrophied and failing hearts is caused by delayed repolarisation, which is thought to be due in part to altered levels and/or patterns of expression of ion channel genes. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the levels and pattern of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) mRNA expression in a combined pressure and volume overload model of heart failure in the rabbit, using in situ mRNA hybridisation. There was a decrease in cftr mRNA expression, primarily due to a decrease in epicardial expression and, hence, loss of the normal epicardial to endocardial gradient of cftr mRNA expression in the rabbit left ventricle. In contrast there was an increase in atrial natriuretic factor (anf) mRNA expression in the hypertrophied hearts with preferential reexpression in subendocardial regions. The patterns of both cftr and anf mRNA expression in the hypertrophied hearts were similar to those seen in embryonic hearts. This suggests that the reversion to an embryonic pattern of gene expression in cardiac hypertrophy applies to ion channel genes. The loss of the normal transmural gradient of repolarising ion channels is likely to contribute to instability of repolarisation in the hypertrophied heart and hence increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with heart failure.

Developmental regulation of the gradient of cftr expression in the rabbit heart.

Gradients of ion channels across the left ventricular free wall of the heart have been found for a number of repolarizing ion channels. Amongst these are the cAMP-activated chloride channels encoded by cftr. In this report, we show that the epicardial (higher) to endocardial (lower) gradient of cftr mRNA found in adult rabbit hearts is not present in embryonic hearts. The gradient starts to develop shortly after birth, and over a period of 5-6 weeks increases to the levels found in the adult. This is the first report of the developmental regulation of any cardiac ion channel mRNA gradient.

Molecular and functional distributions of chloride conductances in rabbit ventricle.

The regulation of cardiac electrical activity is critically dependent on the distribution of ion channels in the heart. For most ion channels, however, the patterns of distribution and what regulates these patterns are not well characterized. The most likely candidates for the genes that encode the cAMP- and swelling-activated chloride conductances in the heart are an alternatively spliced variant of CFTR and ClC-3, respectively. In this study we have 1) measured the density of CFTR and ClC-3 mRNA levels across the left ventricular free wall (LVFW) of the rabbit heart using in situ hybridization and 2) measured the corresponding current density of cAMP- and swelling-activated chloride channels in myocytes isolated from subepicardial, midmyocardial, and subendocardial regions of the LVFW. There was a highly significant gradient in the whole cell slope conductance of cAMP-activated chloride currents; normalized slope conductance at 0 mV was 15.7 +/- 1.8 pS/pF (n = 9) in subepicardial myocytes, 7.8 +/- 1.5 pS/pF (n = 11) in midmyocardial myocytes, and 4.9 +/- 1.1 pS/pF (n = 9) in subendocardial myocytes. The level of CFTR mRNA was closely correlated with the density of cAMP-activated chloride conductances in different regions of the heart, with the level of CFTR mRNA being three times higher in the subepicardium than in the subendocardium. The whole cell slope conductance of swelling-activated chloride channel activity, measured 3-5 min after the commencement of cell swelling, was higher in myocytes isolated from the subepicardium than in myocytes isolated from the midmyocardium or subendocardium. In contrast, there was a uniform expression of ClC-3 mRNA across the LVFW of the rabbit heart. These results suggest that the control of gene expression is an important contributor in regulating the distribution of cAMP-activated chloride channels in the rabbit heart but that it may be less important for the swelling-activated chloride channels.

A gene, yaeQ, that suppresses reduced operon expression caused by mutations in the transcription elongation gene rfaH in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium.

RfaH is a specialised transcription elongation protein. We isolated from a Salmonella typhimurium rfaH suppressor strain a gene that complements in trans the attenuated transcription of the hlyCABD hemolysin operon caused by an rfaH mutation. The gene is homologous to the uncharacterised Escherichia coli gene yaeQ. YaeQ did not increase hlyCABD-encoded hemolysin activity in the RfaH+ wild type, nor did it increase the level of RfaH protein. YaeQ also complements a rfaH::Tn5 null mutation, indicating that it compensates for loss of RfaH function without interaction between the two proteins.

The disulfide bond in the Aeromonas hydrophila lipase/acyltransferase stabilizes the structure but is not required for secretion or activity.

Vibrio and Aeromonas spp. secrete an unusual 35-kDa lipase that shares several properties with mammalian lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. The Aeromonas hydrophila lipase contains two cysteine residues that form an intramolecular disulfide bridge. Here we show that changing either of the cysteines to serine does not reduce enzymatic activity, indicating that the disulfide bond is not required for correct folding. However, when either of the cysteines is replaced, the enzyme is more readily denatured by urea and more sensitive to degradation by trypsin than is the wild-type enzyme, evidence that the bridge has an important role in stabilizing the protein's structure. The two mutant proteins with serine-for-cysteine replacements were secreted by Aeromonas salmonicida containing the cloned genes, although the levels of both in the culture supernatants were lower than the level of the wild-type enzyme. When the general secretory pathway was blocked with carbonyl cyanide chlorophenylhydrazone, the cell-associated pools of the mutant enzymes appeared to be degraded, whereas the wild-type pool remained stable. We conclude that reduced extracellular levels of the mutant proteins are the result of their increased sensitivities to proteases encountered inside the cell during export.

Alpha 1-adrenergic control of chloride transport in the rat S1 proximal tubule.

To identify in vivo the specific alpha-adrenergic receptor mediating direct neural control of chloride transport in the rat S1 proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), the major effector site of neural regulation, microperfusion was employed in conjunction with the alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonists, prazosin and rauwolscine. Using a glomerular ultrafiltrate-like perfusate, prazosin markedly inhibited chloride transport by -42% (302 +/- 10 to 176 +/- 5 peq.mm-1.min-1, P < 0.0001). Using a sodium chloride perfusate, which measures the active component of chloride absorption (J(Cl)act) (control, 153 peq.mm-1.min-1) plus a constant passive (479 peq.mm-1.min-1) component, both prazosin and acute renal denervation reduced J(Cl)act by -38% and -44% (-58 and -67 peq.mm-1.min-1, each P < 0.05). In contrast, rauwolscine caused no significant change in J(Cl)act using either perfusate. Prazosin regulates chloride transport via protein kinase C (PKC), since preactivation of PKC by phorbol abolished inhibitory impact of prazosin. Inhibition of J(Cl)act by prazosin (-58 peq.mm-1.min-1) was fully additive to either the stimulation or inhibition (losartan) of angiotensin II (55 or -49 peq.mm-1.min-1), which uses the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) second messenger system [observed changes, not significantly different from 0 and -99 peq.mm-1.min-1; expected changes, not significantly different from 0 and -107 peq.mm-1.min-1]. In conclusion, neural control of S1 PCT chloride absorption in vivo is mediated by alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, which can selectively regulate J(Cl)act by altering PKC activity, independently of the cAMP second messenger system.

Flow dependence of chloride transport in rat S1 proximal tubules.

These studies examined whether the luminal flow dependency of chloride absorption in the S1 proximal tubule during glomerulotubular balance was due to change in active and/or passive transport of chloride. Using in vivo microperfusion in the Munich-Wistar rat and an essentially pure sodium chloride perfusate (devoid of bicarbonate and organic solutes), we found that an increase in luminal perfusion rate from 30 to 45 nl/min caused stimulation of total chloride absorption (active plus passive) by 87 peq.mm-1.min-1 (632 +/- 17 to 719 +/- 11, P < 0.001). When cyanide was added to this perfusate to eliminate active transport, the flow-induced change in passive transport was 58 peq.mm-1.min-1 (479 +/- 9 to 537 +/- 11, P < 0.001). The cyanide-inhibitable active transport component was therefore 29 peq.mm-1.min-1. With elimination of the transepithelial chloride gradient and, hence, passive transport by isethionate substitution, active transport increased by 63 peq.mm-1.min-1 (121 +/- 4 to 184 +/- 7, P < 0.001) as flow rate rose from 30 to 45nl/min. Removal of organic solutes from a glomerular ultrafiltrate-like perfusate had a minimal effect on flow-induced change in chloride transport (190 vs. 207 peq.mm-1.min-1). In conclusion, flow-dependent active and passive chloride transport in the S1 proximal tubule may both contribute to normal glomerulotubular balance.

Chloride transport in the rat S1 proximal tubule.

In vivo microperfusion was used to elucidate the modes and regulation of the powerful chloride transport system resident in the rat early (S1) proximal convoluted tubule (PCT). From a complete, glomerular ultrafiltrate-like perfusate, omission of organic solutes reduced chloride absorption by 93 peq.mm-1.min-1 (302 +/- 10 to 209 +/- 24, P < 0.001). From a high-chloride perfusate (a relatively pure NaCl solution devoid of bicarbonate and organic solutes), luminal addition of the active transport inhibitor cyanide reduced chloride absorption by 153 peq.mm-1.min-1 (632 +/- 17 to 479 +/- 9, P < 0.001). Active transport was also estimated directly as 121 +/- 4 peq.mm-1.min-1 using a solution in which sodium isethionate isosmotically replaced bicarbonate and organic solutes, preventing development of a chloride gradient. Intravenous angiotensin II caused a stimulation of chloride absorption from a high-chloride perfusate by 55 peq.mm-1.min-1 (632 +/- 17 to 687 +/- 14, P < 0.05), which was partially cyanide-sensitive (510 +/- 6 peq.mm-1.min-1). In conclusion, the components of the normal S1 PCT chloride reabsorption (approximately 300 peq.mm-1.min-1) from the glomerular ultrafiltrate consist of the following: active transport (40-50%), which can be regulated by angiotensin II; sodium-coupled organic solute transport (30%); and passive, chloride concentration gradient-driven transport (20-25%).

Influence of active site and tyrosine modification on the secretion and activity of the Aeromonas hydrophila lipase/acyltransferase.

Aeromonas sp. secrete a lipase/acyltransferase that shares several properties with the mammalian plasma enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase. Reaction of the enzyme with tetranitromethane led to modification of 2 tyrosines and a nearly 80% decline in enzyme activity. Replacing Tyr230 with Phe altered the activity of the enzyme in the same way as did treatment with tetranitromethane. Unlike the wild type enzyme, which preferentially hydrolyzes the 2-position acyl chain of phosphatidylcholine, the Y230F mutant enzyme did not discriminate between the 1- and 2-positions of the phospholipid. Tyr230 may be necessary to correctly position phospholipid substrates at the active site. Several amino acids around the active site Ser16 of the lipase were also changed. Replacing Ser18 with Gly, bringing the enzyme's sequence into line with the "lipase consensus sequence," resulted in reduced secretion of the protein and complete loss of activity. Changing this serine to Val led to an inactive protein that was not secreted at all. Substituting Phe13 in the hydrophobic region of the consensus sequence with Ser also prevented secretion, although the mutant protein appeared to be active. The Aeromonas lipase may represent a distinct group of lipolytic enzymes which have a novel active site structure.

Aeromonas spp. can secrete Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase into the culture supernatant, and its release requires a functional general secretion pathway.

Aerolysin is a channel-forming protein secreted by Aeromonas hydrophila. To determine if regions of aerolysin could direct the secretion of another protein, portions of aerA were fused to phoA, the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase gene and cloned into E. coli, Aeromonas salmonicida, and A. hydrophila. We were surprised to find that secretion of the enzyme by both Aeromonas spp. was independent of the aerolysin segments fused to it. The smallest fusion product contained only the signal sequence and two amino acids of aerolysin. The largest had more than 90% of the aerolysin molecule. The fusion proteins were found in the periplasms of E. coli and A. salmonicida grown in LB medium containing glucose, as well as in the shocked cells. Aerolysin itself was secreted by A. salmonicida under these conditions. In contrast, when A. salmonicida containing any of the fused genes was grown in LB medium without glucose, most of the alkaline phosphatase activity was extracellular, whereas beta-lactamase remained in its normal periplasmic location. Similar results were obtained with A. hydrophila. The change in location of the enzyme in A. salmonicida appeared to be related to the pH of the growth medium. A. salmonicida and A. hydrophila also secreted native E. coli alkaline phosphatase, but A. hydrophila strains with mutations in the general secretion pathway were unable to release the enzyme. We conclude that the Aeromonas secretion system can recognize the E. coli enzyme as an extracellular protein and direct it outside the cell.

Dimerization stabilizes the pore-forming toxin aerolysin in solution.

Aerolysin is a channel-forming protein secreted as a protoxin by Aeromonas hydrophila. Analytical centrifugation measurements showed that proaerolysin is a dimer in solution, and this was confirmed by chemical cross-linking with dimethyl suberimidate. Dissociation of proaerolysin with low concentrations of SDS resulted in the loss of tertiary structure, assessed by near ultraviolet circular dichroism. This was accompanied by an increase in the protein's ability to bind the hydrophobic dye 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate, as well as by increased sensitivity to proteolytic degradation. However, the monomer was not fully unfolded by the detergent, as the tryptophans remained in a hydrophobic environment, and the secondary structure measured by far ultraviolet circular dichroism did not seem to be affected. Aerolysin, the active form of the protein, was also shown to be a dimer, and its stability was found to be no different from the stability of the protoxin dimer. Substituting tryptophan 371 or tryptophan 373 with leucine greatly reduced the stability of dimeric proaerolysin. These substitutions are known to increase the protein's ability to oligomerize, supporting the conclusion that dimer dissociation is necessary for oligomerization to occur.

Oligomerization of the channel-forming toxin aerolysin precedes insertion into lipid bilayers.

Oligomerization is a necessary step in channel formation by the bacterial toxin aerolysin. We have identified a region of aerolysin containing two tryptophans which influence the ability of the protein to oligomerize. Changing the tryptophan at position 371 or 373 to leucine resulted in mutant proteins that oligomerized at much lower concentrations than the wild-type toxin. Near-ultraviolet circular dichroism measurements showed that the tertiary structures of the L-371 and L-373 mutant toxins may be slightly different from the structure of wild type. Other single amino acid replacements in the same region of the protein as the two tryptophans appeared to have little or no effect on any properties of the protein. None of the changes we made had any measured effect on secretion of the protein by the bacteria. The L-373 and L-371 proteins induced chloride release from liposomes at lower concentrations than native toxin. Wild-type aerolysin solutions were completely unable to cause release when oligomeric toxin was absent or when it was removed by centrifugation. Aerolysin changed at H-132, which cannot form oligomers, was also inactive against liposomes. We conclude that aerolysin channels are produced by direct insertion of oligomers formed in solution, or assembled on the surface of the cell after binding to the receptor, and not by lateral diffusion of the monomer after it enters the lipid bilayer.

Site-directed mutagenesis of a single tryptophan near the middle of the channel-forming toxin aerolysin inhibits its transfer across the outer membrane of Aeromonas salmonicida.

The channel-forming protein aerolysin must cross both the inner and outer bacterial membranes during its secretion from Aeromonas hydrophila or from Aeromonas salmonicida containing the cloned structural gene. We examined the fate of three mutant proteins in which Trp-227, near the middle of the amino acid chain, was replaced with glycine, leucine, or phenylalanine by site-directed mutagenesis. All three proteins crossed the inner membrane and entered the periplasm in the same way as wild-type, and in each case the signal sequence was removed correctly. Little or none of the proaerolysin substituted with glycine or leucine was released into the culture supernatant. Instead, significant amounts became associated with the outer membrane. The Phe-227 protoxin was secreted by the bacteria but at a reduced rate. The leucine and phenylalanine mutant proteins were purified and compared with native proaerolysin. They were processed correctly to the mature forms by treatment with trypsin, and like native aerolysin, both were resistant to further proteolysis. In each case, processing was followed by the formation of oligomers similar to those produced by native toxin. The hemolytic activity of the processed Phe-227 mutant was one-quarter that of wild-type toxin whereas Leu-227 aerolysin had less than one-hundredth the wild-type activity. These results are further evidence that aerolysin is secreted in at least two steps. As well, they show that the last step, crossing the outer membrane, can be blocked by an apparently small change in the structure of the protein.

Cloned aerolysin of Aeromonas hydrophila is exported by a wild-type marine Vibrio strain but remains periplasmic in pleiotropic export mutants.

With a wide host range vector, the structural gene aerA for the hole-forming extracellular protein aerolysin of Aeromonas hydrophila was cloned into the marine Vibrio sp. strain 60 and into three pleiotropic export mutants (epr mutants). The parent strain and all of the mutants were able to express the protein with the aerA promoter in the plasmid. The parent strain exported proaerolysin into the medium, while all of the mutants accumulated the protoxin in their periplasms. Two of the mutants also accumulated protease; however, as we have found earlier with A. hydrophila, the periplasmic form of proaerolysin in the Vibrio sp. must somehow be protected from proteolysis because it was not converted to active toxin until the cells were shocked. Conversion could be prevented by adding o-phenanthroline to the solutions used in shocking. These results show that the export pathway in the marine Vibrio sp. is very similar to the pathway in A. hydrophila.

Proton motive force involved in protein transport across the outer membrane of Aeromonas salmonicida.

Many Gram-negative bacteria export proteins to the exterior. Some of these proteins are first secreted into the periplasm and then cross the outer membrane in a separate step. The source of energy required for the translocation is unknown. Export of the extracellular protein proaerolysin from the periplasm through the outer membrane of Aeromonas salmonicida is inhibited by a proton ionophore and by low extracellular pH. One possible explanation of these results is that a proton gradient across the outer membrane is required for export.

Extracellular secretion of cloned aerolysin and phospholipase by Aeromonas salmonicida.

The promoterless structural genes for aerolysin and the extracellular phospholipase of Aeromonas hydrophila were inserted into a multi-host-range expression vector and transferred into Aeromonas salmonicida and Escherichia coli. In both species, gene expression was under the control of the inducible tac promoter of the vector. Neither the phospholipase nor the aerolysin was released by intact E. coli. Instead, both proteins accumulated in the periplasm, leading to reduced growth and eventual cell death. When the aerolysin gene inserted into the vector contained its own promoter, the toxin was expressed constitutively by A. salmonicida but not by E. coli. Production of aerolysin and the phospholipase by A. salmonicida did not affect cell growth, and the proteins were correctly processed and exported by intact cells. Both proteins could also be detected in the periplasm, where their concentrations were considerably higher then they were outside the cells. Periplasmic aerolysin was rapidly released when cells were transferred to fresh medium, indicating that this compartment is part of the normal export pathway and that the protein is not shunted there as a consequence of overproduction. Plasmid-coded aerolysin did not appear to compete with the cell proteins for export components, as even when very large quantities of aerolysin were being exported by A. salmonicida, there was no effect on chromosomal protease release and only a modest reduction in the export of chromosomal phospholipase.

Urinary cGMP as biological marker of the renal activity of atrial natriuretic factor.

Current evidence suggests guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) serves as the second messenger for atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in the kidney in vivo. We examined whether extracellular cGMP accumulation quantitatively reflected the concentration of cGMP within renal cells and whether urinary excretion of cGMP correlated with the physiological action of ANF. cGMP egression was examined in renal epithelial LLC-PK1 cells. ANF augmented intracellular cGMP concentration and extracellular cGMP appearance. Extracellular cGMP was an excellent function of the time-integrated intracellular cGMP concentration. In clearance studies in awake rats, urinary cGMP was primarily of renal cellular origin and correlated with the natriuresis induced by ANF in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent fashion. Urinary cGMP excretion may be useful as a biological marker for the renal activity of ANF in vivo.

Human platelet diffusional water permeability measured by nuclear magnetic resonance.

To examine whether water transport in human platelets is mediated by an aqueous pore or channel, the ratio of osmotic to diffusional water permeability coefficients (Pf/Pd) was measured. Pd was measured from protein spin-lattice relaxation times in a dense platelet suspension (approximately 20% intracellular exchangeable water) using 20 mM solution Mn as a paramagnetic quencher. The decay of magnetization was biexponential with time constants of 1.3 and 6.9 ms (10 MHz, 37 degrees C), corresponding to a Pd of (2.9 +/- 0.2) X 10(-3) cm/s (SE; n = 8). Pd did not depend on concentrations of Mn (6-20 mM) or of platelets (2-4 X 10(10) platelets/ml), but increased to 4.5 X 10(-3) cm/s with addition of gramicidin (6 micrograms/10(10) platelets). 54Mn uptake studies showed less than 1% of equilibrium uptake of Mn into platelets in 30 min at 37 degrees C. The activation energies (Ea) for Pd were 4.5 kcal/mol (less than 28 degrees C) and 16.3 kcal/mol (greater than 28 degrees C). Pf was measured by a stopped-flow light scattering technique as reported previously [M. M. Meyer and A. S. Verkman, Human platelet osmotic water and nonelectrolyte transport, Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Cell Physiol. 20): C549-C557, 1986], in which the time course of platelet volume was measured in response to a 100 mM inwardly directed sucrose gradient. At 37 degrees C, Pf was (2.7 +/- 0.2) X 10(-3) cm/s and independent of [Mn]. The measured platelet Pf/Pd of 0.93 +/- 0.1 suggests that unlike water transport in erythrocytes, platelet water transport is not associated with an aqueous channel.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance measurement of diffusional water permeability in suspended renal proximal tubules.

Diffusional water permeability was measured in renal proximal tubule cell membranes by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance using proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1). A suspension of viable proximal tubules was prepared from rabbit renal cortex by Dounce homogenization and differential sieving. T1 measured in a tubule suspension (22% of exchangeable water in the intracellular compartment) containing 20 mM extracellular MnCl2 was biexponential with time constants 1.8 +/- 0.1 ms and 8.3 +/- 0.2 ms (mean +/- SD, n = 8, 37 degrees C, 10 MHz). The slower time constant, representing diffusional exchange of water between intracellular and extracellular compartments, increased to 11.6 +/- 0.6 ms (n = 6) after incubation of tubules with 5 mM parachloromercuribenzene sulfonate (pCMBS) for 60 min at 4 degrees C and was temperature dependent with activation energy Ea = 2.9 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol. To relate T1 data to cell membrane diffusional water permeabilities (Pd), a three-compartment exchange model was developed that included intrinsic decay of proton magnetization in each compartment and apical and basolateral membrane water transport. The model predicted that the slow T1 was relatively insensitive to apical membrane Pd because of low luminal/cell volume ratio. Based on this analysis, basolateral Pd (corrected for basolateral membrane surface convolutions) is 2.0 X 10(-3) cm/s, much lower than corresponding values for basolateral Pf (10-30 X 10(-3) cm/s) measured in the intact tubule and in isolated basolateral membrane vesicles. The measured P,/Pd> 1, low Ea and inhibition of Pd by pCMBS provide strong evidence that water transport in the proximal tubule basolateral membrane is facilitated by a specialized aqueous pore or narrow channel.

Comparison of the natriuresis and chloruresis associated with glomerular hyperfiltration induced by atrial natriuretic factor or glucagon.

The impact on renal sodium chloride reabsorption of an acute increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) induced by atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) or glucagon was examined in the conscious rat. These hormones have no direct effect on proximal solute transport and have opposite effects on distal transport. ANF and glucagon increased GFR to a comparable extent (2.0 +/- 0.2 to 3.5 +/- 0.4 ml/min, p less than 0.01, and 1.9 +/- 0.1 to 3.3 +/- 0.1 ml/min, p less than 0.001, respectively). While most (95-97%) of the increment in filtered sodium chloride was reabsorbed, a small portion (3-5%) escaped tubular reabsorption. Absolute sodium and chloride urinary excretion rates increased similarly in response to each hormone, by two- to three-fold. Slightly imperfect load-dependent sodium chloride reabsorptive response by the nephron, despite opposite direct effects on distal nephron transport, may account for the observed natriuresis and chloruresis associated with the acute glomerular hyperfiltration induced by ANF or glucagon administration.