Aquaporin-2 is retrieved to the apical storage compartment via early endosomes and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent pathway

Differential regulation of AQP2 trafficking in endosomes by microtubules and actin filaments

Vasopressin-induced trafficking of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channels in kidney collecting duct cells is critical to regulate the urine concentration. To better understand the mechanism of subcellular trafficking of AQP2, we examined MDCK cells expressing AQP2 as a model. We first performed double-immunolabeling of AQP2 with endosomal marker proteins, and showed that AQP2 is stored at a Rab11-positive subapical compartment. After the translocation to the plasma membrane, AQP2 was endocytosed to EEA1-positive early endosomes, and then transferred back to the original Rab11-positive compartment. When Rab11 was depleted by RNA interference, retention of AQP2 at the subapical storage compartment was impaired. We next examined the role of cytoskeleton in the AQP2 trafficking and localization. By the treatment with microtubule-disrupting agent such as nocodazole or colcemid, the distribution of AQP2 storage compartment was altered. The disruption of actin filaments with cytochalasin D or latrunculin B induced the accumulation of AQP2 in EEA1-positive early endosomes. Altogether, our data suggest that Rab11 and microtubules maintain the proper distribution of the subapical AQP2 storage compartment, and actin filaments regulate the trafficking of AQP2 from early endosomes to the storage compartment.

Molecular mechanisms and drug development in aquaporin water channel diseases: water channel aquaporin-2 of kidney collecting duct cells

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) is one of the membrane water channel proteins expressed in principal cells of the kidney collecting ducts. In the basal state, AQP2 resides in the storage vesicles localized in the subapical cytoplasm. Upon stimulation with vasopressin, AQP2 is translocated to the apical plasma membrane by the exocytic fusion of the storage vesicles with the apical membrane. This translocation enables the transepithelial reabsorption of water from the lumen to the interstitium via AQP2 at the apical membrane and AQP3/AQP4 at the basolateral membrane. AQP2-storage vesicles are distinct from the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, and lysosomes. The early endosomal marker EEA1 is colocalized with some of AQP2 vesicles. Further analyses in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells transfected with AQP2 revealed that subapical Rab11-positive/EEA1-negative smaller vesicles constitute part of the AQP2 storage vesicles for the translocation to the apical membrane. Termination of stimulation results in the retrieval of AQP2 to the larger EEA1-positive early endosomal compartment. AQP2 is then transferred to the subapical storage compartment in a PI3-kinase-dependent manner. GLUT4 is an isoform of glucose transporters whose localization is also regulated by vesicular trafficking induced by insulin stimulation. Comparison of the intracellular localization of AQP2 with GLUT4 suggests distinct regulation of AQP2 trafficking.