Self-inhibition of chloride transport in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Identification of the anion exchange protein of Ehrlich cells: a kinetic analysis of the inhibitory effects of 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and labeling of membrane proteins with 3H-DIDS

In Ehrlich ascites tumor cells 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene-disulfonic acid (DIDS) inhibits the chloride exchange both reversibly and irreversibly. The reversible inhibition is practically instantaneous and of a competitive nature with Ki about 2 microM at zero chloride concentration. This is succeeded by a slow irreversible binding of DIDS to the transporter, with a chloride dependence suggesting binding to the same site as for reversible DIDS binding/inhibition. To identify the membrane protein involved in anion exchange, cells were labeled with 3H-DIDS. Incubation of cells for 10 min with 25 microM DIDS at pH 8.2 leads to more than 95% inhibition of the DIDS-sensitive chloride exchange flux when the chloride concentration is low (15 mM). This condition was used for the 3H-DIDS-labeling experiments. After incubation the cells were disrupted, the membranes isolated and solubilized, and the proteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The distribution of the 3H-activity in the gel showed only one major peak, which could be related to protein with a mol wt of about 30,000 Daltons. The number of transport sites was estimated at about 400,000 per cell, and from the DIDS-sensitive chloride flux under steady-state conditions we calculate a turnover number of 340 ions per sec per site.

Phosphate transport in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells: inhibition by H+

The effect of changes in extracellular pH (pHo) and intracellular pH (pHi) on Na+-dependent and Na+-independent inorganic phosphate (Pi) transport in Ehrlich cells was investigated. In the presence of Na+, acutely reducing pHo from 7.30 to 5.50 results first in a transient (approximately 7 min) stimulation of Pi transport. The enhanced rate of transport is a saturable function of the extracellular [H+]; the Ks equals 2.3 X 10(-6) M (pHo 6.68). However, Pi transport is progressively inhibited as pHi falls below 6.50. The effect of pHi on Pi transport measured at various intracellular [Na+] suggests that inhibition develops as a consequence of H+ interaction with an intracellular Na+ site(s) on the Na+-dependent carrier. At pHo 7.4, about 15% of the steady state Pi flux persists in the absence of Na+. However, when pHo is reduced, transport is stimulated to the same extent and with the same time course and kinetic characteristics as in the presence of Na+. Thus, H+ stimulated Pi transport does not require Na+, raising the possibility that the Na+-independent component is mediated by the anion (Cl-) exchanger.

Anion transport systems in the plasma membrane of vertebrate cells

In the case of the red blood cell, anion transport is a highly specific one-for-one exchange catalyzed by a major membrane protein known as band 3 or as capnophorin. This red cell anion-exchange system mediates the Cl-(-)HCO3- exchange responsible for most of the bicarbonate transport capacity of the blood. The rapidly expanding knowledge of the molecular biology and the transport kinetics of this specialized transport system is very briefly reviewed in Section III. Exchange diffusion mechanisms for anions are found in many cells other than erythrocytes. The exchange diffusion system in Ehrlich cells has several similarities to that in red cells. In several cell types (subsection IV-B), there is evidence that intracellular pH regulation depends on Cl-(-)HCO3- exchange processes. Anion exchange in other single cells is described in Section IV, and its role in pH regulation is described in Section VII. Anion exchange mechanism operating in parallel with, and only functionally linked to Na+-H+ or K+-H+ exchange mechanisms can also play a role in cell volume regulation as described in Section VII. In the Ehrlich ascites cell and other vertebrate cells, electroneutral anion transfer has been found to occur also by a cotransport system for cations and chloride operating in parallel with the exchange diffusion system. The cotransport system is capable of mediating secondary active chloride influx. In avian red cells, the cotransport system has been shown to be activated by adrenergic agonists and by cyclic AMP, suggesting that the cotransport is involved in regulatory processes (see subsection V-A.). In several cell types, cotransport systems are activated and play a role during volume regulation, as described in Section V and in Section VII. It is also likely that this secondary active cotransport of chloride plays a significant role for the apparently active extrusion of acid equivalents from certain cells. If a continuous influx of chloride against an electrochemical gradient is maintained by a cotransport system, the chloride disequilibrium can drive an influx of bicarbonate through the anion exchange mechanism, as described in Section VII. Finally, even the electrodiffusion of anions is shown to be regulated, and in Ehrlich cells and human lymphocytes an activation of the anion diffusion pathway plays a major role in cell volume regulation as described in Section VI and subsection VII-B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sodium-dependent ion cotransport in steady-state Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

The Ehrlich tumor cell possesses an anion-cation cotransport system which operates as a bidirectional exchanger during the physiological steady state. This cotransport system, like that associated with the volume regulatory mechanism (i.e. coupled net uptake of Cl- + Na+ and/or K+), is Cl- -selective and furosemide-sensitive, suggesting the same mechanism operating in two different modes. Since Na+ has an important function in the volume regulatory response, its role in steady-state cotransport was investigated. In the absence of Na+, ouabain-insensitive K+ and DIDS-insensitive Cl- transport (KCl cotransport) are low and equivalent to that found in 150 mM Na+ medium containing furosemide. Increasing the [Na+] results in parallel increases in K+ and Cl- transport. The maximum rate of each (18 to 20 meq/(kg dry wt) . min) is reached at about 20 mM Na+ and is maintained up to 55 mM. Thus, over the range 1 to 55 mM Na+ the stoichiometry of KCl cotransport is 1:1. In contrast to K+ and Cl-, furosemide-sensitive Na+ transport is undetectable until the [Na+] exceeds 50 mM. From 50 to 150 mM Na+, it progressively rises to 7 meq/(kg dry wt) . min, while K+ and Cl- transport decrease to 9 and 16 meq/(kg dry wt) . min, respectively. Thus, at 150 mM Na+ the stoichiometric relationship between Cl-, Na+ and K+ is 2:1:1. These results are consistent with the proposal that the Cl- -dependent cation cotransport system when operating during the steady state mediates the exchange of KCl for KCl or NaCl for NaCl; the relative proportion of each determined by the extracellular [Na+].