A molecular map of G protein alpha chains in microdissected rat nephron segments.

Membrane-associated guanine nucleotide binding proteins regulate many receptor-mediated signals. Heterogeneity of biochemical and functional properties in nephron segments could be due to differences in G protein expression. To ascertain whether such heterogeneity of G proteins is present in various nephron segments, this study examines the distribution and relative abundance of G protein alpha chains in microdissected medullary thick ascending limb, cortical collecting tubules, outer medullary collecting tubules, proximal inner medullary tubules, and distal inner medullary tubules. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reactions were employed using oligonucleotides encoding highly conserved regions of all known alpha chains. The cDNA was sequenced for alpha chain identification. The alpha i2 versus alpha s distribution was different in the outer medullary collecting tubules, when compared with the medullary thick ascending limb (P < 0.001) or the cortical collecting tubule, the proximal inner medullary tubules, and the distal inner medullary tubules (P < 0.05). These latter four segments did not significantly differ from each other. A similar analysis was applied to the frequently used line of kidney cells, LLC-PK1, whose exact cellular origin remains unclear. Interestingly, we detected both alpha i2 and alpha i3, while only alpha i2 was detected in the rat distal nephron. No alpha o or alpha z reverse transcription PCR products were detected. In contrast alpha 11 and alpha 14 members of the more recently described alpha q family were detected in the outer medullary collecting tubules and the proximal inner medullary tubules, respectively. We conclude that the majority of nephron segments have a relatively constant distribution of G protein alpha chains.

Hormonal regulation of MAP kinase in cultured rat inner medullary collecting tubule cells.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is a widely expressed protein serine/threonine kinase that serves as a convergence point for many signaling pathways including receptor tyrosine kinases, G protein-coupled receptors, and protein kinase C (PKC). The hormonal regulation of MAP kinase was studied in cultured established rat inner medullary collecting tubule (RIMCT) cells. Neither vasopressin nor beta-adrenergic agonists stimulated MAP kinase, despite clear stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase. In contrast, carbachol, ATP, and epidermal growth factor (EGF), which are known to antagonize vasopressin action in the RIMCT, stimulated the MAP kinase pathway. This stimulation was mimicked by the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which directly activates PKC. The potency with which EGF and carbachol activated MAP kinase was similar to the potency with which they inhibited vasopressin-stimulated cAMP accumulation. To assess the role of Gi proteins in these stimulatory events, RIMCT cells were pretreated with pertussis toxin to inhibit Gi-mediated signaling. Pertussis toxin did not influence ATP- or EGF-stimulated MAP kinase, but completely inhibited carbachol stimulation, suggesting that Gi proteins mediate muscarinic stimulation. Prolonged exposure of RIMCT cells to high phorbol ester concentrations to downregulate PKC ablated carbachol- and ATP-stimulated MAP kinase, but not EGF-stimulated MAP kinase, suggesting that PKC is a component of the network involved in MAP kinase activation by purinergic and muscarinic agonists. Investigation of the sidedness of the hormonal stimulations indicated that EGF-stimulated MAP kinase was highly polarized, occurring exclusively from the basolateral surface, whereas carbachol stimulated MAP kinase similarly from either cell surfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)