Hiroko Segawa

Expression Cloning and Characterization of a Transporter for Large Neutral Amino Acids Activated by the Heavy Chain of 4F2 Antigen (CD98)

A cDNA was isolated from rat C6 glioma cells by expression cloning which encodes a novel Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter designated LAT1. For functional expression in Xenopusoocytes, LAT1 required the heavy chain of 4F2 cell surface antigen (CD98), a type II membrane glycoprotein. When co-expressed with 4F2 heavy chain, LAT1 transported neutral amino acids with branched or aromatic side chains and did not accept basic amino acids or acidic amino acids. The transport via LAT1 was Na+-independent and sensitive to a system L-specific inhibitor 2-aminobicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid. These functional properties correspond to those of the classically characterized amino acid transport system L, a major nutrient transporter. In in vitro translation, LAT1 was shown to be a nonglycosylated membrane protein consistent with the property of 4F2 light chain, suggesting LAT1 is at least one of the proteins formerly referred to as 4F2 light chain. LAT1 exhibits relatively low but significant amino acid sequence similarity to mammalian cationic amino acid transporters and amino acid permeases of bacteria and yeasts, indicating LAT1 is a new member of the APC superfamily. Because of highly regulated nature and high level of expression in tumor cell lines, LAT1 is thought to be up-regulated to support the high protein synthesis for cell growth and cell activation. The cloning of LAT1 is expected to facilitate the research on the protein-protein interaction in the transporter field and to provide a clue to the search for still unidentified transporters.

Human L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) : characterization of function and expression in tumor cell lines

System L is a major nutrient transport system responsible for the transport of large neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids. We previously identified a transporter (L-type amino acid transporter 1: LAT1) subserving system L in C6 rat glioma cells and demonstrated that LAT1 requires 4F2 heavy chain (4F2hc) for its functional expression. Since its oncofetal expression was suggested in the rat liver, it has been proposed that LAT1 plays a critical role in cell growth and proliferation. In the present study, we have examined the function of human LAT1 (hLAT1) and its expression in human tissues and tumor cell lines. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes with human 4F2hc (h4F2hc), hLAT1 transports large neutral amino acids with high affinity (K(m)= approximately 15- approximately 50 microM) and L-glutamine and L-asparagine with low affinity (K(m)= approximately 1.5- approximately 2 mM). hLAT1 also transports D-amino acids such as D-leucine and D-phenylalanine. In addition, we show that hLAT1 accepts an amino acid-related anti-cancer agent melphalan. When loaded intracellularly, L-leucine and L-glutamine but not L-alanine are effluxed by extracellular substrates, confirming that hLAT1 mediates an amino acid exchange. hLAT1 mRNA is highly expressed in the human fetal liver, bone marrow, placenta, testis and brain. We have found that, while all the tumor cell lines examined express hLAT1 messages, the expression of h4F2hc is varied particularly in leukemia cell lines. In Western blot analysis, hLAT1 and h4F2hc have been confirmed to be linked to each other via a disulfide bond in T24 human bladder carcinoma cells. Finally, in in vitro translation, we show that hLAT1 is not a glycosylated protein even though an N-glycosylation site has been predicted in its extracellular loop, consistent with the property of the classical 4F2 light chain. The properties of the hLAT1/h4F2hc complex would support the roles of this transporter in providing cells with essential amino acids for cell growth and cellular responses, and in distributing amino acid-related compounds.

Identification of an Amino Acid Transporter Associated with the Cystinuria-related Type II Membrane Glycoprotein

We identified an amino acid transporter that is associated with the cystinuria-related type II membrane glycoprotein, rBAT (related to b0,+ amino acid transporter). The transporter designated BAT1 (b0,+-type amino acid transporter 1) from rat kidney was found to be structurally related to recently identified amino acid transporters for system L, system y+L, and system x−C, which are linked, via a disulfide bond, to the other type II membrane glycoprotein, 4F2hc (4F2 heavy chain). In the nonreducing condition, a 125-kDa band, which seems to correspond to the heterodimeric complex of BAT1 and rBAT, was detected in rat kidney with anti-BAT1 antibody. The band was shifted to 41 kDa in the reducing condition, confirming that BAT1 and rBAT are linked via a disulfide bond. The BAT1 and rBAT proteins were shown to be colocalized in the apical membrane of the renal proximal tubules where massive cystine transport had been proposed. When expressed in COS-7 cells with rBAT, but not with 4F2hc, BAT1 exhibited a Na+-independent transport of cystine as well as basic and neutral amino acids with the properties of system b0,+. The results from the present investigation were used to establish a family of amino acid transporters associated with type II membrane glycoproteins.

Role of the vitamin D receptor in FGF23 action on phosphate metabolism

FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23) is a novel phosphaturic factor that influences vitamin D metabolism and renal re-absorption of Pi. The goal of the present study was to characterize the role of the VDR (vitamin D receptor) in FGF23 action using VDR(-/-) (VDR null) mice. Injection of FGF23M (naked DNA encoding the R179Q mutant of human FGF23) into VDR(-/-) and wildtype VDR(+/+) mice resulted in an elevation in serum FGF23 levels, but had no effect on serum calcium or parathyroid hormone levels. In contrast, injection of FGF23M resulted in significant decreases in serum Pi levels, renal Na/Pi co-transport activity and type II transporter protein levels in both groups when compared with controls injected with mock vector or with FGFWT (naked DNA encoding wild-type human FGF23). Injection of FGF23M resulted in a decrease in 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1a-hydroxylase mRNA levels in VDR(-/-) and VDR(+/+) mice, while 25-hydroxyvitamin D 24-hydroxylase mRNA levels were significantly increased in FGF23M-treated animals compared with mock vector control- or FGF23WT-treated animals. The degree of 24-hydroxylase induction by FGF23M was dependent on the VDR, since FGF23M significantly reduced the levels of serum 1,25(OH)2D3 [1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3] in VDR(+/+) mice, but not in VDR(-/-) mice. We conclude that FGF23 reduces renal Pi transport and 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1a-hydroxylase levels by a mechanism that is independent of the VDR. In contrast, the induction of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 24-hydroxylase and the reduction of serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels induced by FGF23 are dependent on the VDR.

Effect of hydrolysis-resistant FGF23-R179Q on dietary phosphate regulation of the renal type-II Na/Pi transporter

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a phosphaturic factor, is involved in the regulation of renal inorganic phosphate (Pi) reabsorption. Proteolysis-resistant FGF23 mutants expressed in rodents reduce Pi uptake in both intestine and kidney, independent of parathyroid hormone action. In the present study, we investigated whether FGF23 affects dietary regulation of Na+-dependent Pi (Na/Pi) cotransport in the rat kidney using wild-type FGF23 and an R179Q mutant, which disrupts a consensus proteolytic cleavage motif. Rats injected with naked human FGF23 DNA (wild-type or R179Q mutant) expressed the human FGF23 transcript in the liver. In those animals, plasma calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were not affected by FGF23 (either wild-type or R179Q mutant). FGF23-R179Q did, however, significantly decrease plasma Pi and renal Na/Pi cotransport activity and also the level of type-IIc Na/Pi cotransporter protein in brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) from normal rat kidney. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses in rats fed a low-Pi diet showed the levels of types-IIa and -IIc Na/Pi cotransporters to be markedly increased. After injection of FGF23-R179Q DNA into the rats fed a low-Pi diet, the levels of the types-IIa and -IIc transporter proteins were decreased. The FGF23 mutant thus blunts the signalling of Pi deprivation to the renal type-II Na/Pi cotransporter, suggesting that the FGF23 pathway could be involved in the signalling of dietary Pi.

Npt2a and Npt2c in mice play distinct and synergistic roles in inorganic phosphate metabolism and skeletal development

Hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria (HHRH) is a rare autosomal recessively inherited disorder, characterized by hypophosphatemia, short stature, rickets and/or osteomalacia, and secondary absorptive hypercalciuria. HHRH is caused by a defect in the sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (NaPi-IIc/Npt2c/NPT2c), which was thought to have only a minor role in renal phosphate (P(i)) reabsorption in adult mice. In fact, mice that are null for Npt2c (Npt2c(-/-)) show no evidence for renal phosphate wasting when maintained on a diet with a normal phosphate content. To obtain insights and the relative importance of Npt2a and Npt2c, we now studied Npt2a(-/-)Npt2c(+/+), Npt2a(+/-)Npt2c(-/-), and Npt2a(-/-)Npt2c(-/-) double-knockout (DKO). DKO mice exhibited severe hypophosphatemia, hypercalciuria, and rickets. These findings are different from those in Npt2a KO mice that show only a mild phosphate and bone phenotype that improve over time and from the findings in Npt2c KO mice that show no apparent abnormality in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis. Because of the nonredundant roles of Npt2a and Npt2c, DKO animals showed a more pronounced reduction in P(i) transport activity in the brush-border membrane of renal tubular cells than that in the mice with the single-gene ablations. A high-P(i) diet after weaning rescued plasma phosphate levels and the bone phenotype in DKO mice. Our findings thus showed in mice that Npt2a and Npt2c have independent roles in the regulation of plasma P(i) and bone mineralization.

New Aspect of Renal Phosphate Reabsorption: The Type IIc Sodium-Dependent Phosphate Transporter

Abnormalities of the inorganic phosphate (Pi) reabsorption in the kidney result in various metabolic disorders. Na+-dependent Pi (Na/Pi) transporters in the brush border membrane of proximal tubular cells mediate the rate-limiting step in the overall Pi-reabsorptive process. Type IIa and type IIc Na/Pi cotransporters are expressed in the apical membrane of proximal tubular cells and mediate Na/Pi cotransport; the extent of Pi reabsorption in the proximal tubules is determined largely by the abundance of the type IIa Na/Pi cotransporter. However, several studies suggest that the type IIc cotransporter in Pi reabsorption may also play a role in this process. For example, mutation of the type IIc Na/Pi cotransporter gene results in hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria, suggesting that the type IIc transporter plays an important role in renal Pi reabsorption in humans and may be a key determinant of the plasma Pi concentration. The type IIc Na/Pi transporter is regulated by parathyroid hormone, dietary Pi, and fibroblast growth factor 23, and studies suggest a differential regulation of the IIa and IIc transporters. Indeed, differences in temporal and/or spatial expression of the type IIa and type IIc Na/Pi transporters may be required for normal phosphate homeostasis and bone development. This review will briefly summarize the regulation of renal Pi transporters in various Pi-wasting disorders and highlight the role of a relatively new member of the Na/Pi cotransporter family: the type IIc Na/Pi transporter/SLC34A3.

Inhibition of Intestinal Sodium‐dependent Inorganic Phosphate Transport by Fibroblast Growth Factor 23

Abstract:  The mechanisms by which fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) alters inorganic phosphate (Pi) homeostasis is not entirely clear. In the present study, we examined the effect of FGF23 on intestinal sodium‐dependent Pi transport in mice. Injection of FGF23(R179Q) markedly reduced serum Pi and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels in normal mice. Those animals show the reduction of intestinal sodium‐dependent Pi transport activity and the amount of type IIb sodium‐dependent Pi cotransporter (type IIb NaPi) protein in the brush border membrane vesicles. In vitamin D receptor null mice (VDR−/−), FGF23(R179Q) had no effect on intestinal sodium‐dependent Pi transport activity and type IIb NaPi protein levels. The present study suggests that FGF23(R179Q) reduces intestinal sodium‐dependent Pi transport activity and type IIb NaPi protein levels by a mechanism that is dependent on VDR.

Type IIc Sodium–Dependent Phosphate Transporter Regulates Calcium Metabolism

Primary renal inorganic phosphate (Pi) wasting leads to hypophosphatemia, which is associated with skeletal mineralization defects. In humans, mutations in the gene encoding the type IIc sodium-dependent phosphate transporter lead to hereditary hypophophatemic rickets with hypercalciuria, but whether Pi wasting directly causes the bone disorder is unknown. Here, we generated Npt2c-null mice to define the contribution of Npt2c to Pi homeostasis and to bone abnormalities. Homozygous mutants (Npt2c(-/-)) exhibited hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and elevated plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) levels, but they did not develop hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphaturia, renal calcification, rickets, or osteomalacia. The increased levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) in Npt2c(-/-) mice compared with age-matched Npt2c(+/+) mice may be the result of reduced catabolism, because we observed significantly reduced expression of renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase mRNA but no change in 1alpha-hydroxylase mRNA levels. Enhanced intestinal absorption of calcium (Ca) contributed to the hypercalcemia and increased urinary Ca excretion. Furthermore, plasma levels of the phosphaturic protein fibroblast growth factor 23 were significantly decreased in Npt2c(-/-) mice. Sodium-dependent Pi co-transport at the renal brush border membrane, however, was not different among Npt2c(+/+), Npt2c(+/-), and Npt2c(-/-) mice. In summary, these data suggest that Npt2c maintains normal Ca metabolism, in part by modulating the vitamin D/fibroblast growth factor 23 axis.

Regulation of the PepT1 peptide transporter in the rat small intestine in response to 5-fluorouracil–induced injury

BACKGROUND & AIMS The oligopeptide transport system of the small intestine is resistant to mucosal injury. The mechanism of this resistance was investigated by examining the activity level and expression of the peptide transporter PepT1 in the intestine of rats treated with 5-fluorouracil. METHODS The expression and localization of PepT1 were examined by immunoblot analysis of brush border membrane vesicles and immunohistochemical analysis of intestinal sections with PepT1-specific rabbit polyclonal antibodies. Also, Northern blot analysis was used for the expression of PepT1 messenger RNA (mRNA). RESULTS Although the amounts of sucrase and an Na+-dependent glucose transporter protein in intestinal vesicles decreased markedly after 5-fluorouracil treatment, the amount of PepT1 protein remained largely unaffected. Immunohistochemical analysis also showed that the PepT1 immunoreactivity level was preserved in the brush border membrane of the remaining villi of 5-fluorouracil-treated rats. Levels of amino acid, glucose, and phosphate transporter mRNAs were profoundly depressed in 5-fluorouracil-treated animals, whereas the level of PepT1 mRNA conversely increased. CONCLUSIONS The resistance of intestinal peptide transport to tissue injury may be attributable to increased synthesis of PepT1 rather than to a change in the kinetic properties of the residual absorbing cells.