Properties and regulation of chloride channels in cystic fibrosis and normal airway cells

Pathogenic Relationships in Cystic Fibrosis and Renal Diseases: CFTR, SLC26A9 and Anoctamins

The Cl--transporting proteins CFTR, SLC26A9, and anoctamin (ANO1; ANO6) appear to have more in common than initially suspected, as they all participate in the pathogenic process and clinical outcomes of airway and renal diseases. In the present review, we will therefore concentrate on recent findings concerning electrolyte transport in the airways and kidneys, and the role of CFTR, SLC26A9, and the anoctamins ANO1 and ANO6. Special emphasis will be placed on cystic fibrosis and asthma, as well as renal alkalosis and polycystic kidney disease. In essence, we will summarize recent evidence indicating that CFTR is the only relevant secretory Cl- channel in airways under basal (nonstimulated) conditions and after stimulation by secretagogues. Information is provided on the expressions of ANO1 and ANO6, which are important for the correct expression and function of CFTR. In addition, there is evidence that the Cl- transporter SLC26A9 expressed in the airways may have a reabsorptive rather than a Cl--secretory function. In the renal collecting ducts, bicarbonate secretion occurs through a synergistic action of CFTR and the Cl-/HCO3- transporter SLC26A4 (pendrin), which is probably supported by ANO1. Finally, in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the secretory function of CFTR in renal cyst formation may have been overestimated, whereas ANO1 and ANO6 have now been shown to be crucial in ADPKD and therefore represent new pharmacological targets for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease.

Bicarbonate in cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Cystic fibrosis (CF, mucoviscidosis) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which is a chloride and bicarbonate channel necessary for fluid secretion and extracellular alkalization. For a long time, research concentrated on abnormal Cl^- and Na⁺ transport, but neglected bicarbonate as a crucial factor in CF.

METHODS

The present short review reports early findings as well as recent insights into the role of CFTR for bicarbonate transport and its defects in CF.

RESULTS

The available data indicate impaired bicarbonate transport not only in pancreas, intestine, airways, and reproductive organs, but also in salivary glands, sweat duct and renal tubular epithelial cells. Defective bicarbonate transport is closely related to the impaired mucus properties and mucus blocking in secretory organs of CF patients, causing the life threatening lung disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Apart from the devastating lung disease, abrogated bicarbonate transport also leads to many other organ dysfunctions, which are outlined in the present review.

Mechanisms of guanylin action on water and ion absorption at different regions of seawater eel intestine

Guanylin (GN) inhibited water absorption and short-circuit current (Isc) in seawater eel intestine. Similar inhibition was observed after bumetanide, and the effect of bumetanide was abolished by GN or vice versa, suggesting that both act on the same target, Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter (NKCC), which is a key player for the Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-) transport system responsible for water absorption in marine teleost intestine. However, effect of GN was always greater than that of bumetanide: 10% greater in middle intestine (MI) and 40% in posterior intestine (PI) for Isc, and 25% greater in MI and 34% in PI for water absorption. After treatment with GN, Isc decreased to zero, but 20-30% water absorption still remained. The remainder may be due to the Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) exchanger and Na(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC), since inhibitors for these transporters almost nullified the remaining water absorption. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed the presence of major proteins involved in water absorption; the NKCC2β and AQP1 genes whose expression was markedly upregulated after seawater acclimation. The SLC26A6 (anion exchanger) and NCCβ genes were also expressed in small amounts. Consistent with the inhibitors' effect, expression of NKCC2β was MI > PI, and that of NCCβ was MI << PI. The present study showed that GN not only inhibits the bumetanide-sensitive Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-) transport system governed by NKCC2β, but also regulates unknown ion transporters different from GN-insensitive SLC26A6 and NCC. A candidate is cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl(-) channel, as demonstrated in mammals, but its expression is low in eel intestine, and its role may be minor, as indicated by the small effect of its inhibitors.

Structure and function of TMEM16 proteins (anoctamins)

TMEM16 proteins, also known as anoctamins, are involved in a variety of functions that include ion transport, phospholipid scrambling, and regulation of other membrane proteins. The first two members of the family, TMEM16A (anoctamin-1, ANO1) and TMEM16B (anoctamin-2, ANO2), function as Ca2+-activated Cl- channels (CaCCs), a type of ion channel that plays important functions such as transepithelial ion transport, smooth muscle contraction, olfaction, phototransduction, nociception, and control of neuronal excitability. Genetic ablation of TMEM16A in mice causes impairment of epithelial Cl- secretion, tracheal abnormalities, and block of gastrointestinal peristalsis. TMEM16A is directly regulated by cytosolic Ca2+ as well as indirectly by its interaction with calmodulin. Other members of the anoctamin family, such as TMEM16C, TMEM16D, TMEM16F, TMEM16G, and TMEM16J, may work as phospholipid scramblases and/or ion channels. In particular, TMEM16F (ANO6) is a major contributor to the process of phosphatidylserine translocation from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Intriguingly, TMEM16F is also associated with the appearance of anion/cation channels activated by very high Ca2+ concentrations. Furthermore, a TMEM16 protein expressed in Aspergillus fumigatus displays both ion channel and lipid scramblase activity. This finding suggests that dual function is an ancestral characteristic of TMEM16 proteins and that some members, such as TMEM16A and TMEM16B, have evolved to a pure channel function. Mutations in anoctamin genes (ANO3, ANO5, ANO6, and ANO10) cause various genetic diseases. These diseases suggest the involvement of anoctamins in a variety of cell functions whose link with ion transport and/or lipid scrambling needs to be clarified.

Molecular functions of anoctamin 6 (TMEM16F): a chloride channel, cation channel, or phospholipid scramblase?

Anoctamin 6 (Ano6; TMEM16F gene) is a ubiquitous protein; the expression of which is defective in patients with Scott syndrome, an inherited bleeding disorder based on defective scrambling of plasma membrane phospholipids. For Ano6, quite diverse functions have been described: (1) it can form an outwardly rectifying, Ca(2+)-dependent and a volume-regulated Cl(-) channel; (2) it was claimed to be a Ca(2+)-regulated nonselective cation channel permeable for Ca(2+); (3) it was shown to be essential for Ca(2+)-mediated scrambling of membrane phospholipids; and (4) it can regulate cell blebbing and microparticle shedding. Deficiency of Ano6 in blood cells from Scott patients or Ano6 null mice appears to affect all of these cell responses. Furthermore, Ano6 deficiency in mice impairs the mineralization of osteoblasts, resulting in reduced skeletal development. These diverse results have been obtained under different experimental conditions, which may explain some of the contradictions. This review therefore aims to summarize the currently available information on the diverse roles of Ano6 and tries to clear up some of the existing controversies.

Calcium-activated and apoptotic phospholipid scrambling induced by Ano6 can occur independently of Ano6 ion currents

Immune cells and platelets maintain plasma membrane phospholipid asymmetry. Upon activation, this asymmetry is disrupted by phospholipid scrambling (PS), which is a major step during activation of immune cells, hemostasis and apoptosis. Anoctamin 6 (Ano6; TMEM16F) causes chloride (Cl(-)) and cation currents and is required for Ca(2+)-dependent PS. It is defective in blood cells from patients with Scott syndrome, a rare bleeding disorder. We examined if Cl(-) currents and PS are related, whether both processes are Ca(2+) dependent, and whether Ca(2+)-independent scrambling during intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis is controlled by Ano6. Ca(2+) increase by ionomycin activated Ano6 Cl(-) currents and PS in normal lymphocytes, but not in B-lymphocytes from two different patients with Scott syndrome. Fas ligand (FasL) did not increase intracellular Ca(2+), but activated Cl(-) currents in normal but not in Scott lymphocytes. Whole-cell currents were inhibited by Cl(-) channel blockers and by siRNA knockdown of Ano6. In contrast, intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis by ABT-737 did not induce Cl(-) currents in lymphocytes. PS was not inhibited by blockers of Ano6 or removal of Cl(-) ions. Remarkably, Ca(2+)-independent scrambling due to extrinsic (FasL) or intrinsic (ABT-737) apoptosis was unchanged in Scott cells. We conclude that: (i) Ano6 Cl(-) currents are activated by increase in cytosolic Ca(2+), or Ca(2+) independent by stimulation of Fas receptors; (ii) Ca(2+)-dependent PS induced by Ano6 does not require Cl(-) currents; (iii) Ca(2+)-independent PS does not require Ano6; (iv) Ano6 is necessary for Ca(2+)-dependent PS, but not by increasing intracellular Ca(2+).

Anoctamin 6 is an essential component of the outwardly rectifying chloride channel

Outwardly rectifying chloride channels (ORCC, ICOR) of intermediate single-channel conductance of around 50 pS, are ubiquitously expressed, but have remained a mystery since their description more than 25 y ago. These channels have been shown to be activated on membrane excision and depolarization of the membrane voltage and by cAMP in the presence of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. We show that anoctamin 6 (Ano6), a member of the recently identified family of putative Cl(-) channels, is the crucial component of ORCC single-channel and whole-cell currents in airway epithelial cells and Jurkat T lymphocytes. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator augmented ORCC produced by Ano6 in A549 airway epithelial cells. Ano6 is activated during membrane depolarization or apoptosis of Jurkat T lymphocytes and epithelial cells, and is inhibited by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid, 4,4'-diisothio-cyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, or AO1. Ano6 belongs to the basic equipment of any cell type, including colonic surface epithelial cells. It forms the essential component of ORCC and seems to have a role for cell shrinkage and programmed cell death.

Introduction to section V: assessment of CFTR function

This chapter introduces the various techniques to asses the function of CFTR. The numerous functional interactions of CFTR and cellular properties affected by CFTR will be described initially. This will be followed by sections explaining the importance of patch clamping and double electrode voltage clamp experiments in Xenopus oocytes for expression analysis of CFTR, and the Ussing chamber technique to analyze CFTR in polarized epithelia. It is concluded that examining CFTR function should occur at different levels, starting with the intact epithelium and ending with isolated CFTR proteins.

Electrolyte transport in the mammalian colon: mechanisms and implications for disease

The colonic epithelium has both absorptive and secretory functions. The transport is characterized by a net absorption of NaCl, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and water, allowing extrusion of a feces with very little water and salt content. In addition, the epithelium does secret mucus, bicarbonate, and KCl. Polarized distribution of transport proteins in both luminal and basolateral membranes enables efficient salt transport in both directions, probably even within an individual cell. Meanwhile, most of the participating transport proteins have been identified, and their function has been studied in detail. Absorption of NaCl is a rather steady process that is controlled by steroid hormones regulating the expression of epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC), the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, and additional modulating factors such as the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase SGK. Acute regulation of absorption may occur by a Na(+) feedback mechanism and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Cl(-) secretion in the adult colon relies on luminal CFTR, which is a cAMP-regulated Cl(-) channel and a regulator of other transport proteins. As a consequence, mutations in CFTR result in both impaired Cl(-) secretion and enhanced Na(+) absorption in the colon of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Ca(2+)- and cAMP-activated basolateral K(+) channels support both secretion and absorption of electrolytes and work in concert with additional regulatory proteins, which determine their functional and pharmacological profile. Knowledge of the mechanisms of electrolyte transport in the colon enables the development of new strategies for the treatment of CF and secretory diarrhea. It will also lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiological events during inflammatory bowel disease and development of colonic carcinoma.

A src-like kinase activates outwardly rectifying chloride channels in CFTR-defective lymphocytes

Defective activation of chloride channels is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). Recently we have described activation of a volume-sensitive, outwardly rectifying chloride conductance (I(OR)) through the src-like tyrosine kinase p56(lck). Here we show that p56(lck) activates I(OR) independently of CFTR. In lymphocytes from healthy donors, chloride channels could be opened by either intracellular cAMP, p56(lck) or osmotic swelling. In CF lymphocytes, p56(lck) and cell swelling but not cAMP could activate chloride channels. Regulation of I(OR) by p56(lck) thus represents an alternative pathway of stimulating membrane chloride conductance that is left intact in cystic fibrosis.

Inhibition of amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na(+) absorption by extracellular nucleotides in human normal and cystic fibrosis airways

Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelia are characterized by enhanced Na(+) absorption probably due to a lack of downregulation of epithelial Na(+) channels by mutant CF transmembrane conductance regulator. Extracellular nucleotides adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP) have been shown to activate alternative Ca(2+)-dependent Cl(-) channels in normal and CF respiratory epithelia. Recent studies suggest additional modulation of Na(+) absorption by extracellular nucleotides. In this study we examined the role of mucosal ATP and UTP in regulating Na(+) transport in native human upper airway tissues from patients with 16 patients with CF and 32 non-CF control subjects. To that end, transepithelial voltage and equivalent short-circuit current (I(SC)) were assessed by means of a perfused micro-Ussing chamber. Mucosal ATP and UTP caused an initial increase in lumen-negative I(SC) that was followed by a sustained decrease of I(sc) in both non-CF and CF tissues. The amiloride-sensitive portion of I(SC) was inhibited significantly in normal and CF tissues in the presence of either ATP or UTP. Both basal Na(+) transport and nucleotide-dependent inhibition of amiloride-sensitive I(SC) were significantly enhanced in CF airways compared with non-CF. Nucleotide-mediated inhibition of Na(+) absorption was attenuated by pretreatment with the Ca(2+)-adenosine triphosphatase inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid but not by inhibition of protein kinase C with bisindolylmaleimide. These data demonstrate sustained inhibition of Na(+) transport in non-CF and CF airways by mucosal ATP and UTP and suggest that this effect is mediated by an increase of intracellular Ca(2+). Because ATP and UTP inhibit Na(+) absorption and stimulate Cl(-) secretion simultaneously, extracellular nucleotides could have a dual therapeutic effect, counteracting the ion transport defect in CF lung disease.

Role of CFTR in the colon

In contrast to the airways, the defects in colonic function in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are closely related to the defect in CFTR. The gastrointestinal phenotype of CF transgenic mice closely resembles the phenotype in CF patients, which clearly indicates the crucial role of CFTR in colonic Cl- secretion and the absence of an effective compensation. In the colon, stimulation of CFTR Cl- channels involves cAMP- or cGMP-dependent phosphorylation. Exocytosis is not involved. Activation of CFTR leads to coactivation of basolateral KVLQT1-type K+ channels and inhibition of luminal Na+ channels (ENaC). In contrast to cultured cells, Ca2+ does not activate luminal Cl- channels in intact enterocytes. It activates basolateral SK4-type K+ channels and luminal K+ channels, which provide additional driving force for Cl- exit. The magnitude of Cl- secretion, however, completely depends on the presence of at least a residual CFTR function in the luminal membrane. These findings have been clearly demonstrated by Ussing chamber experiments in colon epithelium biopsies of CF and normal individuals: Colonic Cl- secretion in CF patients is variable and reflects the genotype; a complete defect of CFTR is paralleled by the absence of Cl- secretion and unmasks Ca(2+)-regulated K+ channels in the luminal membrane; overabsorption of Na+ in CF reflects the absence of ENaC inhibition by CFTR; and the functional status of CF colon can be mimicked by the complete suppression of cAMP stimulation in enterocytes of healthy individuals.

Intracellular Ca2+ and Cl- channel activation in secretory cells

Molecular and functional evidence indicates that a variety of Ca(2+)-dependent chloride (Cl(Ca)) channels are involved in fluid secretion from secretory epithelial cells in different tissues and species. Most Cl(Ca) channels so far characterized have an I- permeability greater than Cl-, and most are sensitive to 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). Whole-cell Cl(Ca) currents show outward rectification. Single-channel current voltage relationships are linear with conductances ranging from 2 to 30 pS. Some Cl(Ca) channels are blocked by Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAMKII) inhibitors. Others, such as the Cl(Ca) channels of parotid and submandibular acinar cells, appear to be directly regulated by Ca2+. In native cells, the Cl(Ca) channels are located on the apical plasma membrane and activated by localized mechanisms of Ca2+ release. This positioning allows the Cl(Ca) channel to respond specifically to localized Ca2+ signals that do not invade other regions of the cell. The Cl(Ca) follows the rising phase of the Ca2+ signal, but in the falling phase hysteresis occurs where the Cl(Ca) current decays more rapidly than the underlying Ca2+. The future elucidation of the identity and mechanisms of regulation of Cl(Ca) channels will be critical to our understanding of stimulus-secretion coupling.

Basolateral outward rectifier chloride channel in isolated crypts of mouse colon

Single channel patch-clamp techniques were used to demonstrate the presence of outwardly rectifying chloride channels in the basolateral membrane of crypt cells from mouse distal colon. These channels were rarely observed in the cell-attached mode and, in the inside-out configuration, only became active after a delay and depolarizing voltage steps. Single channel conductance was 23.4 pS between -100 and -40 mV and increased to 90.2 pS between 40 and 100 mV. The channel permeability sequence for anions was: I(-) > SCN(-) > Br(-) > Cl(-) > NO(3)(-) > F(-)>> SO(4)(2-) approximately gluconate. In inside-out patches, the channel open probability was voltage dependent but insensitive to intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. In cell-attached mode, forskolin, histamine, carbachol, A-23187, and activators of protein kinase C all failed to activate the channel, and activity could not be evoked in inside-out patches by exposure to the purified catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A. The channel was inhibited by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoate, 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid, and DIDS. Stimulation of G proteins with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) decreased the channel open probability and conductance, whereas subsequent addition of guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) reactivated the channel.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and its function in epithelial transport

CF is a well characterized disease affecting a variety of epithelial tissues. Impaired function of the cAMP activated CFTR Cl- channel appears to be the basic defect detectable in epithelial and non-epithelial cells derived from CF patients. Apart from cAMP-dependent Cl- channels also Ca2+ and volume activated Cl- currents may be changed in the presence of CFTR mutations. This is supported by recent additional findings showing that different intracellular messengers converge on the CFTR Cl- channel. Analysis of the ion transport in CF airways and intestinal epithelium identified additional defects in Na+ transport. It became clear recently that mutations of CFTR may also affect the activity of other membrane conductances including epithelial Na+ channels, KvLQT-1 K+ channels and aquaporins (Fig. 7). Several additional, initially unexpected effects of CFTR on cellular functions, such as exocytosis, mucin secretion and regulation of the intracellular pH were reported during the past. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that CFTR not only acts as a cAMP regulated Cl- channel, but may fulfill several other cellular functions, particularly by regulating other membrane conductances. Failure in CFTR dependent regulation of these membrane conductances is likely to contribute to the defects observed in CF. Currently, no general concept is available that can explain how CFTR controls this variety of cellular functions. Further studies will have to verify whether direct protein interaction, specific effects on membrane turnover, changes of the intracellular ion concentration or additional proteins are involved in these regulatory loops. At the end of this review one cannot share the provocative and reassuring title "CFTR!" of a review written a few years ago [114]. Today one might rather finish with the statement "CFTR?".

Physiological basis of cystic fibrosis: a historical perspective

Physiological Basis of Cystic Fibrosis: A Historical Perspective. Physiol. Rev. 79, Suppl.: S3-S22, 1999. - Cystic fibrosis made a relatively late entry into medical physiology, although references to conditions probably reflecting the disease can be traced back well into the Middle Ages. This review begins with the origins of recognition of the symptoms of this genetic disease and proceeds to briefly review the early period of basic research into its cause. It then presents the two apparently distinct faces of cystic fibrosis: 1) as that of a mucus abnormality and 2) as that of defects in electrolyte transport. It considers principal findings of the organ and cell pathophysiology as well as some of the apparent conflicts and enigmas still current in understanding the disease process. It is written from the perspective of the author, whose career spans back to much of the initial endeavors to explain this fatal mutation.

Pharmacology of CFTR chloride channel activity

Pharmacology of CFTR Chloride Channel Activity. Physiol. Rev. 79, Suppl.: S109-S144, 1999. - The pharmacology of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is at an early stage of development. Here we attempt to review the status of those compounds that modulate the Cl- channel activity of CFTR. Three classes of compounds, the sulfonylureas, the disulfonic stilbenes, and the arylaminobenzoates, have been shown to directly interact with CFTR to cause channel blockade. Kinetic analysis has revealed the sulfonylureas and arylaminobenzoates interact with the open state of CFTR to cause blockade. Suggestive evidence indicates the disulfonic stilbenes act by a similar mechanism but only from the intracellular side of CFTR. Site-directed mutagenesis studies indicate the involvement of specific amino acid residues in the proposed transmembrane segment 6 for disulfonic stilbene blockade and segments 6 and 12 for arylaminobenzoate blockade. Unfortunately, these compounds (sulfonylureas, disulfonic stilbenes, arylaminobenzoate) also act at a number of other cellular sites that can indirectly alter the activity of CFTR or the transepithelial secretion of Cl-. The nonspecificity of these compounds has complicated the interpretation of results from cellular-based experiments. Compounds that increase the activity of CFTR include the alkylxanthines, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, phosphatase inhibitors, isoflavones and flavones, benzimidazolones, and psoralens. Channel activation can arise from the stimulation of the cAMP signal transduction cascade, the inhibition of inactivating enzymes (phosphodiesterases, phosphatases), as well as the direct binding to CFTR. However, in contrast to the compounds that block CFTR, a detailed understanding of how the above compounds increase the activity of CFTR has not yet emerged.

Chloride channels in the eel intestine

Patches of freshly isolated epithelial cells from eel Anguilla anguilla intestine bathed by the same solution on both sides in the cell-attached configuration had conductances of 57.0+/−1.8 pS (for positive voltages) and 13.3+/−0.7 pS (for negative voltages) (means +/− s.e.m., N=25). Electrical activity was spontaneous in the cell-attached configuration, but was frequently lost after excision. In inside-out patches, channel activity was restored by strong hyperpolarization (−150 mV for 5 s) or depolarization (+150 mV for 5 s). Channel activity was inhibited by the Cl- transport blocker DIDS (1 mmol l-1). The membrane potential measured using the nystatin slow whole-cell technique in primary cultured eel intestine epithelial cells was −35.4+/−1.0 mV (N=14), similar to the expected equilibrium potential for Cl- (−38.2 mV). Removal of Cl- from the bath or application of DIDS caused 16 mV and 6–7 mV depolarizing shifts in reversal potential, respectively. In one experiment, DIDS also induced a reduction in cell conductance from 0. 011+/−0.014 to 0.002+/−0.005 nS. The addition of 0.5 mmol l-1 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (a membrane-permeable analogue of cyclic AMP) to the bath caused an increase in conductance without affecting the reversal potential.

Expression of a hypotonic swelling-activated Cl conductance during ontogeny of collecting duct epithelium

Developmental expression of ion channels possibly participating in regulatory volume decrease was studied in rat embryonic (day E17) and perinatal (days P1-6) ureteric bud and in postnatal (P9-14) cortical collecting duct cells in primary monolayer culture. In isotonic bath solution, whole cell conductance (in nS/10 pF) was highest in E17 (4.0 +/- 0.5, n = 31) compared with P1-6 (2.0 +/- 0.1, n = 16) and P9-14 (1.3 +/- 0.2, n = 12) due to a decreasing contribution of a DIDS-sensitive Cl conductance, from E17 (2.8 +/- 0. 7, n = 12) to P1-6 (0.53 +/- 0.07, n = 9) and P9-14 (0.05 +/- 0.1, n = 7). Cl conductance in E17 exhibited a permselectivity of I approximately Cl approximately Br >> gluconate, and it activated time dependently. Hypotonic bath solution induced a large increase of whole cell conductance in P1-6 and in P9-14 but not in E17 (by 20. 0 +/- 3.7, 21.5 +/- 5.5, and 4.9 +/- 1.7; n = 11, 12, and 25, respectively) due to the activation of a time-dependently inactivating Cl conductance with a permselectivity of I >/= Br > Cl >> gluconate. In conclusion, the expression of Cl channels, as studied in vitro, appears to shift from an apparently constitutively active embryonic to a hypotonic swelling-activated type during late embryonic development of the collecting duct.

The tyrosine kinase p56lck mediates activation of swelling-induced chloride channels in lymphocytes

Osmotic cell swelling activates Cl- channels to achieve anion efflux. In this study, we find that both the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A and genetic knockout of p56lck, a src-like tyrosine kinase, block regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in a human T cell line. Activation of a swelling-activated chloride current (ICl-swell) by osmotic swelling in whole-cell patch-clamp experiments is blocked by herbimycin A and lavendustin. Osmotic activation of ICl-swell is defective in p56lck-deficient cells. Retransfection of p56lck restores osmotic current activation. Furthermore, tyrosine kinase activity is sufficient for activation of ICl-swell. Addition of purified p56lck to excised patches activates an outwardly rectifying chloride channel with 31 pS unitary conductance. Purified p56lck washed into the cytoplasm activates ICl-swell in native and p56lck-deficient cells even when hypotonic intracellular solutions lead to cell shrinkage. When whole-cell currents are activated either by swelling or by p56lck, slow single-channel gating events can be observed revealing a unitary conductance of 25-28 pS. In accordance with our patch-clamp data, osmotic swelling increases activity of immunoprecipitated p56lck. We conclude that osmotic swelling activates ICl-swell in lymphocytes via the tyrosine kinase p56lck.

Outwardly rectifying Cl- channel in guinea pig small intestinal villus enterocytes: effect of inhibitors

Previous studies in enterocytes isolated from the villus region of small intestinal epithelium have identified a macroscopic current carried by Cl-. In this work a single-channel patch-clamp study was carried out in the same cells, and a spontaneously active, outwardly rectifying Cl- channel was identified and proposed to underlie the whole cell current. The channel had conductances of 62 and 19 pS at 80 and -80 mV, respectively, in symmetrical Cl- solutions in excised patches. Similar activity was seen in cell-attached patches, but only outward currents could be discerned in this configuration. The activity of the channel, measured as open probability, was independent of intracellular calcium levels and voltage. The selectivity sequence for different anions was SCN- > I- > Br- > Cl- > F- > (gluconate, glutamate, SO4(2-)). The channel was inhibited by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB), verapamil, and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (but not by tamoxifen), with potencies similar to those observed for Cl- channels previously described in other cells. Inhibition by trinitrophenyladenosine 5'-triphosphate was also observed but only at depolarized potentials. At 50 mV the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was 18 nM. It is proposed that this channel plays a role in transepithelial Cl- transport and certain regulatory Cl- fluxes.

The membrane transporters regulating epithelial NaCl secretion

Ten years ago, the basic principles operating in one specific, albeit non-mammalian, exocrine gland, the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias, were described in detail. The concept emerging from these studies appeared applicable to almost any other exocrine gland, because it involved membrane transporters which are also present in mammalian epithelial cells. Meanwhile, it has become clear that the mechanisms of NaCl secretion are diverse: the mechanisms of NaCl uptake; the ion channels involved; and also the mechanisms of hormonal control. Nevertheless, several steps in NaCl secretion still appear to be uniform: (1) several signalling pathways converge and act cooperatively, (2) one primary regulatory step is the upregulation of the luminal Cl- conductance, (3) secondarily active NaCl uptake mechanisms are upregulated, (4) increasing evidence links NaCl secretion to membrane trafficking and (5) the entire machinery seems to be primed to secure cellular homeostasis in terms of cytosolic ion concentrations. This brief review summarizes the mechanisms of control of NaCl secretion. The major issues addressed are the NaCl uptake mechanisms, the ion channels involved and the cellular mechanisms coordinating secretion. The major NaCl secreting cells discussed here will be the respiratory epithelial cells, the exocrine cells of pancreatic acini and the cells of colonic crypts.

Blockade of swelling-induced chloride channels by phenol derivatives

1. In NIH3T3 fibroblasts, the chloride channel involved in regulatory volume decrease (RVD) was identified as ICln, a protein isolated from a cDNA library derived from Madin Darby canine Kidney (MDCK) cells. ICln expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes gives rise to an outwardly rectifying chloride current, sensitive to the extracellular addition of nucleotides and the known chloride channel blockers, DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid) and NPPB (5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid). We set out to study whether substances structurally similar to NPPB are able to interfere with RVD. 2. RVD in NIH3T3 fibroblasts and MDCK cells is temperature-dependent. 3. RVD, the swelling-dependent chloride current and the depolarization seen after reducing extracellular osmolarity can be blocked by gossypol and NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), both structurally related to NPPB. 4. The cyclic AMP-dependent chloride current elicited in CaCo cells is less sensitive to the two substances tested while the calcium-activated chloride current in fibroblasts is insensitive. 5. The binding site for the two phenol derivatives onto ICln seems to be distinct but closely related to the nucleotide binding site identified as G x G x G, a glycine repeat located at the predicted outer mouth of the ICln channel protein.

Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of chloride currents in human astrocytoma cells

Expression of voltage-activated ion channels was studied in primary cultures from seven freshly resected human primary brain tumors and in an established human astrocytoma cell line, STTG1. Astrocytoma cells consistently expressed voltage-dependent outwardly rectifying currents. Currents activated at potentials > 45 mV and showed outward transients on termination of voltage steps. Currents reversed at the Cl equilibrium potential, suggesting that they were largely carried by Cl-. Altering extracellular K- or Na+ concentration did not alter currents; neither did replacement of intracellular K+ by Cs+ or intracellular Na+ by N-methyl-D-glucosamine. Anion-substitution experiments suggest the following permeability sequence, determined from shifts in tail current reversal potential: I- > NO3- > Br- > Cl- > acetate > isethionate > F- > glutamate. Currents were sensitive to the Cl- channel blockers chlorotoxin, 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), and 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2' disulfonic acid (DNDS), with chlorotoxin being most effective, yielding > 80% block at 590 nM. DIDS (100 microM) and DNDS (100 microM) reduced currents by 33.5 and 38.2%, respectively. Currents were also sensitive to Zn2+ (100 microM, 47% block) and Cd2- (25 microM, 42% block). Reducing extracellular Ca2+ concentration decreased outward currents by 58% and almost completely eliminated transients, suggesting that Cl- currents are Ca2+ dependent. Cl channel block resulted in altered cell proliferation as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation, suggesting that these channels may be involved in astrocytoma growth control.

Na+ and Cl- conductances in airway epithelial cells: increased Na+ conductance in cystic fibrosis

Na+ and Cl- conductances in the apical membrane of respiratory epithelial cells are essential for electrolyte and water transport in the airways. Apart from the well described defect in adenosine 3' : 5' cyclic monophosphate-(cAMP-) dependent activation of Cl- conductances in cystic fibrosis (CF), an increased Na+ conductance has also been reported from transepithelial measurements. In the present experiments we tried to identify these conductances in nasal epithelial cells using patch-clamp and microelectrode techniques. With these methods we found identical and relatively low membrane voltages of about -36 mV in both freshly isolated and primary cultured normal and CF nasal epithelial cells. A Cl- conductance could be activated by cAMP in normal (deltaG = 0.3 +/- 0.8 nS, n = 10) but not in CF (deltaG = 0.3 +/- 0.1 nS, n = 11) cells, whereas Ca2+-dependent Cl- currents activated by adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and bradykinin were present in both types of cells. Cell-attached membrane patches from stimulated cells did not reveal discernible single-channel events when activated with any of the agonists. A Na+ conductance was also detected in freshly isolated ciliated respiratory cells in impalement studies, as evidenced by the hyperpolarization induced by 10 micromol/l amiloride (deltaV = -5.2 +/- 0.6 mV, n = 56) and when Na+ was replaced in the bath by N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) (deltaV = -5.7 +/- 0.9 mV, n = 14). In whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, the amiloride-induced hyperpolarization was significantly larger in CF (deltaV = 9.7 +/- 2.4 mV, n = 22) when compared to normal (deltaV = -3.3 +/- 0.9 mV, n = 27) cells in short-term culture. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis of normal respiratory cells identified messenger RNA of both the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) as well as the human epithelial Na+ channel (hNaCh). The present experiments confirm the absence of a cAMP-dependent Cl- conductance in CF respiratory epithelial cells and support previous findings obtained in transepithelial and microelectrode studies which indicate an increased Na+ conductance in respiratory epithelial cells from CF patients.

Modulation of a volume-regulated chloride current by F-actin

We have examined whether F-actin integrity is involved in activation of a volume-regulated Cl- current (VRChlC) in B-lymphocytes. VRChlC activation was initiated in response to establishing a whole cell recording in the presence of a hyposmotic gradient. Parallel confocal microscopy experiments using Rhodamine-Phalloidin (R-P) as a specific marker of F-actin showed that the submembrane actin ring is reversibly disrupted in response to an hyposmotic gradient. Disruptions of cortical F-actin integrity by 50 microM cytochalasin B (CB) does not trigger activation of VRChlC under isosmotic conditions or potentiate the rate of activation when the osmolarity of the extracellular solution was decreased by 75%. However, incubation with CB increased the rate of VRChlC activation in response to a 90% hyposmotic gradient. Phalloidin, a stabilizer of F-actin, decreases the rate of VRChlC activation in response to a 90% gradient, but has no effect in response to a 75% gradient. These observations suggest that disassembly of cortical F-actin is not critical for VRChlC activation in B-lymphocytes. The integrity of cortical F-actin, however, can exert a modulatory effect on the rate of VRChlC activation in the presence of a hyposmotic gradient.

Antisense oligonucleotides suppress cell-volume-induced activation of chloride channels

Cell volume regulation is an essential feature of most cells. After swelling in hypotonic media, the simultaneous activation of potassium and chloride channels is believed to be the initial, time-determining step in cell volume regulation. The activation of both pathways is functionally linked and enables the cells to lose ions and water, subsequently leading to cell shrinkage and readjustment of the initial volume. NIH 3T3 fibroblasts efficiently regulate their volume after swelling and bear chloride channels that are activated by decreasing extracellular osmolarity. The chloride current elicited in these cells after swelling is reminiscent of the current found in oocytes expressing an outwardly rectifying chloride current termed ICln. Introduction of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the first 30 nucleotides of the coding region of the ICln channel into NIH 3T3 fibroblasts suppresses the activation of the swelling-induced chloride current. The experiments directly demonstrate an unambiguous link between a volume-activated chloride current and a cloned protein involved in chloride transport.

Characterization of two distinct Cl- conductances in fused human respiratory epithelial cells. II. Relation to cystic fibrosis gene product

The present microelectrode experiments on fused respiratory epithelial cells of cystic fibrosis (CF) origin and non-CF origin aim at characterizing the molecular basis of the Cl- conductances regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or respectively Ca2+, as described in the preceding publication. Cell membrane potential (Vm) and resistance (Rm) were recorded as well as their response to substitution of 90% of bath Cl- by isethionate (delta Vm,ISE), by I- (delta Vm,I), or by other halide anions. Fused CF cells had significantly (P < 0.05) higher control Vm values (-18.0 +/- 9.4 mV, +/- SD, n = 68) than fused non-CF cells (-12.5 +/- 6.6 mV, n = 69) and responded to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 with an increase in the Vm response to Cl- substitution, but did not respond to forskolin. This indicates that CF cells express only the Ca(2+)-stimulated Cl- conductance. Injection of the antibody M3A7 against a fusion protein containing amino acids 1195 to 1480 of the CF gene product into young, forskolin-stimulated or old non-CF cells decreased delta Vm,ISE and delta Vm,I within 15 min to values observed in CF cells. This indicates inhibition of the cAMP-stimulated Cl- conductance and supports the molecular identity of this conductance with the CF gene product. However, the slow onset of inhibition does not allow secondary effects to be excluded and a slight fall in Rm remains unexplained. Stimulation of the Ca(2+)-regulated Cl- conductance was not impaired. Injection of M3A7 into CF cells or of a control antibody in non-CF cells had no effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calcium is not involved in the cAMP-mediated stimulation of Cl- conductance in the apical membrane of Necturus gallbladder epithelium

The permeability properties of the forskolin-stimulated Cl- conductance in the apical membrane of Necturus gallbladder epithelium and the possible participation of intracellular Ca2+ in its stimulation have been investigated. The anion selectivity sequence as derived from biionic potential measurements (SCN- > I- approximately NO3- > Br- > Cl- >> ISE-) differed from the sequence derived from measurements of apical membrane resistance (NO3- approximately Br- approximately Cl- > SCN- > I- approximately ISE-). Accordingly, the conductance was inhibited by SCN- and I- which, from the potential measurements, appeared to be more permeable than Cl-. This finding agrees with observations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channel reported recently. However, none of the commonly used Cl- channel blockers, such as 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid (NPPB), 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS), anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (9-AC) and glibenclamide reduced this conductance in Necturus gallbladder. In contrast to the situation in most other epithelia, elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) by ionomycin stimulated only K+ conductance and not that of Cl- in the apical cell membrane. Chelation of intracellular Ca2+ did not prevent the stimulation of Cl- conductance by forskolin. This indicates that [Ca2+]i does not have even a permissive role in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate-(cAMP)-mediated stimulation process, as would have been expected if exocytosis was involved. Further evidence against the involvement of exocytosis in the stimulation process came from the observation that the stimulation was not associated with an increase in apical membrane capacitance and was not suppressed by disruption of the cytoskeleton by preincubation of the tissue with cytochalasin D. The data indicate that Necturus gallbladder epithelium contains homologues of the CFTR Cl- channel which reside permanently in the apical cell membrane and which can be stimulated by a cAMP-dependent phosphorylation process without involvement of cell Ca2+ or exocytosis.

Ion channels in basolateral membrane of marginal cells dissociated from gerbil stria vascularis

The basolateral membrane of isolated strial marginal cells has been probed for conductive pathways by the patch-clamp technique. Two types of voltage-insensitive channels were identified in both cell-attached and excised patches. Of these, frequently (69% of excised patches) observed was a Ca(2+)-activated nonselective cation channel having a unit conductance of 24.9 +/- 0.5 pS (N = 16). Other characteristics of this type in excised patches include: 1) linear I-V relations with 150 mM K+ (pipette)/150 mM Na+ (bath), 2) a permeability sequence of NH4+ > Na+ = K+ = Rb+ > Li+, 3) a flickering block by quinine or quinidine (both 1 mM), and 4) a dose dependent block of its activity by ADP or ATP (IC50,ATP/IC50,ADP = 20-35), both from the cytosolic side. Channels with similar characteristics were found in the apical membrane of the same cell; however, the basolateral channels were 2-4 times more densely distributed than the apical counterparts. Also frequently (57%) detected was a Cl- channel of 80.0 +/- 0.5 pS (N = 6), whose activity was Ca2+ independent. Additionally, this Cl- channel had: 1) linear I-V relations with symmetric Cl-, 2) a permeability sequence of Cl- > Br- > I- > or = NO3- > or = gluconate-, and 3) a complete and reversible block by 1 mM diphenylamine-2-carboxylate. In contrast to the apical Cl- channels, the basolateral ones had a much higher density (57% vs. < 1%) as well as a higher unit conductance (80 pS vs. 50 pS) than the apical counterpart. The relative abundance of these two types as the major conductive pathways for Na+, K+, and Cl- in the basolateral region must be taken into account when addressing the role of strial marginal cells in generating the positive endocochlear potential. The Cl- channel may facilitate Cl- distribution across the basolateral membrane.

Membrane mechanisms and intracellular signalling in cell volume regulation

Recent work on selected aspects of the cellular and molecular physiology of cell volume regulation is reviewed. First, the physiological significance of the regulation of cell volume is discussed. Membrane transporters involved in cell volume regulation are reviewed, including volume-sensitive K+ and Cl- channels, K+, Cl- and Na+, K+, 2Cl- cotransporters, and the Na+, H+, Cl-, HCO3-, and K+, H+ exchangers. The role of amino acids, particularly taurine, as cellular osmolytes is discussed. Possible mechanisms by which cells sense their volumes, along with the sensors of these signals, are discussed. The signals are mechanical changes in the membrane and changes in macromolecular crowding. Sensors of these signals include stretch-activated channels, the cytoskeleton, and specific membrane or cytoplasmic enzymes. Mechanisms for transduction of the signal from sensors to transporters are reviewed. These include the Ca(2+)-calmodulin system, phospholipases, polyphosphoinositide metabolism, eicosanoid metabolism, and protein kinases and phosphatases. A detailed model is presented for the swelling-initiated signal transduction pathway in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Finally, the coordinated control of volume-regulatory transport processes and changes in the expression of organic osmolyte transporters with long-term adaptation to osmotic stress are reviewed briefly.

Thyrotropin regulation of basolateral Cl- and I- effluxes in thyroid follicles in culture

This report describes chloride and iodide effluxes across the basolateral membrane of porcine thyroid follicles reconstituted in culture. Basolateral chloride efflux is activated by thyrotropin (TSH). TSH (10 mU/ml) induces a twofold increase in the initial rate of chloride efflux. Forskolin (FSK, 5 microM) which increases intracellular cAMP also stimulates the initial rate of chloride efflux 3.5-fold, whereas an increase in the free cytosolic Ca2+ with the ionophore A23187 or thapsigargin, fails to mimic the TSH effect. The chloride channel blocker 5-nitro-2(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) dose dependently inhibits chloride efflux rates with the maximal and half maximal effects observed for 100 microM and 30 microM, respectively. Basolateral chloride efflux rates are also inhibited in the presence of the organic anion transporter blocker probenecid (5 mM) or the Cl-/HCO3- exchanger blocker 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS, 250 microM), respectively, by 60% and 40%, whereas it is not affected by ClO4 (100 microM). The initial rate of iodide efflux is weakly activated (1.4-fold) by TSH (10 mU/ml). TSH effect could be reproduced by agents known to activate Ca(2+)-dependent processes as A23187, ionomycin (1 microM), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA, 0.1 microM) and epidermal growth factor (EGF, 0.1 microM) which increase the initial rate of iodide efflux from 1.2- to 1.8-fold, whereas FSK is without effect. The chloride channel blocker NPPB (500 microM) is required to significantly inhibit the initial rate of iodide efflux by 30%. The initial rate of iodide efflux is also reduced by 30% in the presence of SITS (250 microM) or probenecid (5 mM) whereas it is activated by ClO4 (100 microM). We conclude that basolateral chloride and iodide effluxes are both regulated by TSH, using two different transduction pathways. Chloride efflux regulation may involve a cAMP transduction signal, whereas the regulation of iodide efflux may involve a Ca2+ signal. Furthermore, as the sensitivities of chloride and iodide effluxes for the anion transporter blockers (especially NPPB) are different, it seems likely that chloride and iodide use two different transport pathways.

Characterization of the Cl- conductance in the granular duct cells of mouse mandibular glands

We have previously shown that mouse mandibular granular ducts contain a hyperpolarization-activated Cl- conductance. We now show that the instantaneous current/voltage (I/V) relation of this Cl- conductance is inwardly rectifying with a slope conductance of 15.4 +/- 1.8 nS (n = 4) at negative potentials and of 6.7 +/- 0.9 nS (n = 4) at positive potentials. Thus, the inward rectification seen in the steady-state I/V relation is due, not only to voltage activation of the Cl- conductance, but also to the intrinsic conductance properties of the channel. We show further that the ductal Cl- conductance is not activated by including ATP (10 mmol/l) in the pipette solution. Finally, we show that the conductance is not blocked by the addition of any of the following compounds to the extracellular solution: anthracene-9-carboxylate (A9C, 1 mmol/l), diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC, 1 mmol/l), 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB, 100 mumol/l), 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonate (DIDS, 100 mumol/l), indanyloxyacetic acid (IAA-94, 100 mumol/l), verapamil (100 mumol/l), glibenclamide (100 mumol/l) and Ba2+ (5 mmol/l). The properties of the ductal Cl- conductance most nearly resemble those of the ClC-2 channel. Both channel types have instantaneous I/V relations that are slightly inwardly rectifying, are activated by hyperpolarization with a time-course in the order of hundreds of milliseconds, have a selectivity sequence of Br- > Cl- > I-, and are insensitive to DIDS. The only identified difference between the two is that the ClC-2 channel is 50% blocked both by DPC and A9C (1 mmol/l), whereas the ductal Cl- conductance is insensitive to these compounds.

Dissociation of depolarization-activated and swelling-activated Cl- channels

In many cells, patch excision and depolarization induce outwardly rectifying Cl- channels (ORDIC channels) whose function and normal mode of regulation are unknown. One possible function is the mediation of swelling-activated Cl- conductance, because in many cells rectifying Cl- currents are activated by cell swelling. However, swelling-activated Cl- channels in some epithelia have larger conductances than ORDIC channels and inactivate more rapidly, although both have similar anion selectivity and are blocked by stilbenes. Thus it has not been possible to determine whether the two types of channel current arise from distinct proteins or alternate states of a single protein. We studied 14 cell lines and found 2 lines, C127 mouse mammary epithelial cells and IEC-6 rat intestinal crypt cells, with very low levels of ORDIC channels. However, despite the near absence of ORDIC channels in these rodent cells, a large swelling-activated Cl-conductance was demonstrated by whole cell, efflux, and single-channel methods. Thus it is likely that ORDIC and swelling-activated channel currents arise from different channel proteins.

Characterization of an outwardly rectifying chloride channel in a human submandibular gland duct cell line (HSG)

We have used the single-channel patch-clamp technique to study ion channels in the plasma membrane of the HSG human submandibular gland duct cell line. In cell-attached and excised inside-out patches, at least six channel types were observed. When the pipette contained an isotonic KCl-rich solution and the bath an isotonic NaCl-rich solution, the predominant channel type seen in excised inside-out patches was a Cl- channel with an outwardly rectifying current/voltage (I/V) relation that had a conductance of 12 pS at positive pipette potentials and 43 pS at negative pipette potentials. The channel was only seen in excised patches and its open probability was not significantly increased by membrane depolarization. The channel selectivity sequence (relative to Cl-) was estimated from reversal potential measurements to be: SCN- (1.8) > NO3- (1.4) > I- (1.1) approximately Cl- (1) approximately Br- (0.8) > acetate (0.35). In inside-out patches the channel was blocked by addition of 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB) (100 mumol/l) to the bath but not by 9-anthracene carboxylic acid (9-AC) (100 mumol/l). The channel was not activated by increases in the free Ca2+ concentration on the cytosolic surface. This is the first report of an outwardly rectifying Cl- channel in a salivary epithelium. The properties of this channel are not in accordance with the properties of the Cl- conductances in the acinar or duct tissues which have been studied so far and its physiological role is unclear.

Molecular characterization of a swelling-induced chloride conductance regulatory protein, pICln

Cells maintain control of their volume by the passage of KCl and water across their membranes, but the regulatory proteins are unknown. Expression in Xenopus oocytes of a novel protein, pICln, activated a chloride conductance. We have cloned analogs of pICln from rat heart and Xenopus ovary. pICln was identified as an abundant soluble cytosolic protein (approximately 40 kd) that does not immunolocalize with the plasma membrane. pICln was found in epithelial and cardiac cells, brain, and Xenopus oocytes, forming complexes with soluble actin and other cytosolic proteins. Monoclonal antibodies recognizing pICln blocked activation of a native hypotonicity-induced chloride conductance (ICl.swell) in Xenopus oocytes, suggesting that pICln may link actin-bound cytoskeletal elements to an unidentified volume-sensitive chloride channel. The high degree of sequence conservation and widespread expression of pICln suggest that it is an important element in cellular volume regulation.

Synergistic activation of non-rectifying small-conductance chloride channels by forskolin and phorbol esters in cell-attached patches of the human colon carcinoma cell line HT-29cl.19A

Cell-attached patch-clamp studies with the human colon carcinoma HT-29cl.19A cells revealed a small chloride channel with a unitary conductance of 6.5 pS at 70 mV and 4.6 pS at -70 mV clamp potential after cAMP was increased by activation of adenylyl cyclase by forskolin. Usually channels inactivated upon patch excision, but in a few excised patches the channels stayed active and displayed a linear I/V relation in symmetrical (150 mmol/l) chloride solutions with a conductance of 7.5 pS. A 16-fold increase in channel incidence was observed when forskolin and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) were present together. The open probability was voltage-independent and was not different in the presence of forskolin plus PDB or with forskolin alone. The conductance sequence of the channel as deduced from outward currents carried by five different anions including chloride was: Cl- > BR- > NO3- > gluconate > I-. The permeability sequence deduced from the reversal potentials was NO3- > or = Br- > Cl- > I- > gluconate. With iodide in the pipette the conductance decreased strongly. Moreover, the inward current was reduced by 61%, indicating a strong inhibition of the chloride efflux by iodide. Similarly, the forskolin-induced increase of the short-circuit current (Isc) in confluent filter-grown monolayers was strongly reduced by iodide in the apical perfusate. Iodide also increased the fractional resistance of the apical membrane and repolarized the membrane potential, indicating an inhibitory action on the forskolin-induced increase of the apical chloride conductance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Two types of chloride channel in the basolateral membrane of vestibular dark cells

Transepithelial and cell membrane potential measurements have suggested that the basolateral membrane of gerbil vestibular dark cells contains Cl- conductive pathways. We used the patch clamp technique to search this membrane for Cl- conductive channels which could account for the macroscopic observations. Two types of Cl- channel were found in both cell-attached and excised membrane patches. One type was found with an incidence of 19% and had a single-channel conductance of 95 +/- 1 pS (N = 20) in symmetrical Cl- solutions. The other type was found with an incidence of 3% and had a large single-channel conductance of 360 +/- 11 pS (N = 12) in symmetrical Cl- solutions (LC-type Cl- channel). Both types of Cl- channel had linear current-voltage relations and at least 2 substates. In asymmetrical Cl- solutions (gluconate substitution) the current-voltage relations fit the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz current equation for Cl-. Neither channel was blocked by Zn2+, NPPB, DIDS, DNDS or quinine. The 95 pS channel exhibited a spontaneous 'rundown' of its activity within 1 to 10 min after being excised. This rundown was not reversed by the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A. Channel activity was not dependent on the presence of cytosolic Ca2+ nor markedly altered by variations in cytosolic pH between 6.5 and 8.0. The two Cl- channels were distinguished by the membrane voltage ranges in which they were active and by their anion selectivity. The open probability of the 95 pS channel was insensitive to voltage and the anions NO3-, I- and Br- were only half as permeable as Cl-. By contrast, the LC-type Cl- channel was mostly active between about +/- 30 mV and equally permeable to NO3-, I-, Br- and Cl-. The 95 pS Cl- channel may account for the observed transepithelial and intracellular voltage responses to Cl- concentration steps and provide the path for the recirculation of Cl- across the basolateral membrane. The LC-type Cl- channel shows the same lack of anion discrimination as the anion pathway activated during hyposmotic challenge.

Small and intermediate conductance chloride channels in HT29 cells

Recently, it has been shown that intermediate conductance outwardly rectifying chloride channels (ICOR) are blocked by cytosolic inhibitor (C. I.) found in the cytosol of human placenta and epithelial cells. C. I. also reduced the baseline current in excised membrane patches of HT29 cells. In the present study, this effect of C. I. was characterized further. Heat treated human placental cytosol was extracted in organic solvents and dissolved in different electrolyte solutions. It is shown that the reduction of baseline conductance (g(o)) is caused by inhibition of small non-resolvable channels, which are impermeable to Na+ and SO4(2-), but permeable to Cl-. The regulation of these small Cl(-)-conducting channels (g(o)) and of ICOR was examined further. First, no activating effects of protein kinase A (PKA) on the open probability (Po) of the ICOR or on the g(o)) were observed. The Po of the ICOR was reduced by 22% in a Ca(2+)-free solution. g(o) was insensitive to changes in the Ca2+ activity. The effects of C. I. from a cystic fibrosis (CF) placenta and the CF pancreatic duct cell line CFPAC-1 were compared with the effects of corresponding control cytosols, and no significant differences between CF and control cytosols were found. We conclude that the excised patches of HT29 cells contain ICOR and small non-resolvable Cl(-)-conducting channels which are similarly inhibited by C. I.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regulation of chloride channels in the human colon carcinoma cell line HT29.cl19A

Chloride (Cl-) channels are important in the regulation of salt and water transport in secretory epithelial cells. A disturbed Cl- secretion is the most consistent characteristic in the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. An outwardly rectifying Cl- channel (OR) with a conductance of 25-50 pS had been proposed to play a major role in Cl- secretion. Activation by Ca2+ and the protein kinases (PK) A and C (at less than 10 nM Ca2+) as well as inhibition by PKC (at 1 microM Ca2+) has been reported. In the present study, we have identified and characterized the OR in HT29.cl19A human colon carcinoma cells. The OR displayed a conductance of 31 +/- 4 pS (n = 25). Its open probability in 10 nM Ca2+ was voltage-dependent in 50% of the patches, starting from 0.2 at -70 mV to 0.8 at 70 mV. The spontaneous activation in excised inside-out patches at -60 mV was Ca(2+)-dependent and decreased from 29% in 1 mM Ca2+ to 2% in 10 nM Ca2+. Active OR were found in (a) 25% of patches exposed to 10 nM Ca2+, ATP and cAMP only, (b) 42% of the patches exposed to 10 nM Ca2+, ATP and the catalytic subunit of PKA (CAK) and (c) 67% of the patches exposed to 1 mM Ca2+, ATP plus CAK. Inhibition of voltage-activated channels by addition of PKC in 1 microM or 1 mM Ca2+ was not observed. Attempts to activate the OR in cell-attached patches by increasing cAMP levels under different experimental conditions were unsuccessful.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Outwardly rectifying chloride channels and CF: a divorce and remarriage

Outwardly rectifying Cl- channels were originally thought to be the central element in cystic fibrosis. The role of these channels in CF was questioned to such an extent that doubts were raised about the validity of the original experiments. Recent data reestablishes a role for outwardly rectifying Cl- channels (ORCC) in CF and suggests that the protein encoded by the CF gene, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), can effect the regulation of more than one channel in the airway. This minireview deals with the rise, fall, and resurrection of the role of outwardly rectifying Cl- channels in CF.

Histamine-induced Cl- secretion in human nasal epithelium: responses of apical and basolateral membranes

The mechanism by which receptors coupled to phospholipase C (PLC) induce Cl- secretion in amiloride-pretreated cultures of human nasal epithelial (HNE) cultures was investigated. Histamine (10(-4) M, basolateral administration) stimulated a rapid increase in equivalent short-circuit current, an index of Cl- secretion, that returned to baseline within 5 min. Intracellular recordings with double-barreled Cl(-)-selective microelectrodes showed that the apical and basolateral membrane potentials rapidly hyperpolarized, the fractional resistance of the apical membrane increased, and the transepithelial resistance decreased in response to histamine. Intracellular Cl- activity remained constant. Equivalent circuit analysis revealed that the early portion (< 0.9 min) of the Cl- secretory response was driven by an activation of a hyperpolarizing basolateral conductance, likely K+, whereas the later (> 0.9 min) phase of Cl- secretion reflects activation of the apical membrane Cl- conductance. Histamine raised intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) measured by fura-2 in HNE with a potency similar to that observed for induction of Cl- secretion. Both intracellular release and plasma membrane influx pathways were identified, typical of receptor-mediated activation of PLC. The intracellular Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (15 microM), coupled with reduced bathing solution Ca2+, blunted the rise in Ca2+i and the net transepithelial Cl- secretory response to histamine. We conclude that 1) histamine induced Cl- secretion in HNE by a sequential mechanism: the rapid initial component reflects activation of the basolateral K+ conductance, and the later component reflects activation of an apical Cl- conductance; and 2) the level of Ca2+i may participate in the activation of both the basolateral and apical conductances.

Volume-regulatory Cl- channel currents in cultured human epithelial cells

1. During osmotic swelling, cultured human small intestinal epithelial cells (Intestine 407) exhibited activation of large Cl- currents under the patch-clamp whole-cell configuration. The volume-sensitive Cl- conductance was independent of intracellular Ca2+ and cyclic AMP. 2. The anion permeability sequence of the current was SCN- > I- > Br- > Cl- > F- > gluconate-, corresponding to Eisenman's sequence I. 3. Cl- currents were instantaneously activated by command pulses in a range of -120 to +45 mV. At potentials more positive than +50 mV the current showed a time-dependent inactivation. This inactivation was accelerated by increased depolarization. The instantaneous current-voltage relationship rectified in the outward direction. 4. A stilbene-derivative Cl- channel blocker, 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene (SITS), inhibited the Cl- current at micromolar concentrations. SITS facilitated inactivation at positive potentials. Outward currents were more prominently suppressed by SITS than inward currents. The concentrations required for 50% inhibition (IC50) of outward and inward currents were 1.5 and 6 microM, respectively. The outward and inward currents were equally inhibited by a carboxylate analogue Cl- channel blocker, 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB) or diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC) at higher doses (IC50 = 25 for NPPB or 350 microM for DPC). Inactivation kinetics at large depolarizations was not affected by NPPB or DPC. 5. The Cl- current was blocked by an unsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid (IC50 = 8 microM). Arachidonic acid was still effective in the presence of inhibitors of lipoxygenase (nordihydroguaiaretic acid, 10 microM), cyclo-oxygenase (indomethacin, 10 microM) and protein kinase C (polymyxin B, 30 microM). The Cl- current was also sensitive to another cis unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, which is not a substrate for oxygenases. A trans isomer of oleate, elaidic acid, and a saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, were ineffective. 6. Single Intestine 407 cells exposed to a hypotonic solution showed a regulatory volume decrease after initial osmotic swelling. The volume regulation was abolished by SITS, NPPB, arachidonate and oleate, but not by elaidate and palmitate. 7. It is concluded that outwardly rectifying Cl- channels, which are sensitive to arachidonic acid, are activated upon osmotic swelling and involved in the subsequent cell volume regulation.

The membrane potential of vestibular dark cells is controlled by a large Cl- conductance

The K+ secretory epithelium of the vestibular labyrinth (dark cells) was impaled with glass microelectrodes in order to test the hypothesis that it contains a large Cl- conductance. In the first series of experiments, the short-circuited epithelium was perfused on both sides by a solution containing 150 mmol/l Cl-. The membrane voltage (PD) was -18 +/- 1 mV (N = 101), showed a Gaussian distribution, and the estimated input resistance of the cell (R 'cell') was 17 +/- 3 M omega. The PD responded to 10(-4) mol/l ouabain with a depolarization, suggesting the presence of a (Na(+) + K+)-ATPase. The PD responses to Cl- steps yielded an apparent transference number tCl = 0.34 +/- 0.03 (N = 65) and those to K+ steps yielded a tK = 0.16 +/- 0.01 (N = 48). In the second series of experiments, cells presumed to be Cl(-)-depleted were impaled in Cl(-)-free solutions. The distribution of the PD was not Gaussian; PDs as negative as -90 mV were observed. Cells with a highly negative PD also had a high R 'cell'. With the addition of Cl- the PD collapsed to -19 +/- 1 mV and R collapsed to 16 +/- 3 M omega (N = 145) which are not significantly different from values obtained in the first series of experiments when cells were impaled in a solution containing 150 mmol/l Cl-. Alternating the bath perfusate between Cl(-)-free and Cl(-)-containing solutions led to large PD transients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Two types of chloride channel in the apical membrane of rat choroid plexus epithelial cells

The patch clamp technique has been used to study ion channel activity in the apical (ventricular) membrane of epithelial cells from the rat choroid plexus. Two different classes of Cl(-)-selective channel were identified. A low conductance (26 pS) channel which was the predominant feature in cell-attached and inside-out patches. The occurrence of this channel appeared to increase in tissue bathed in forskolin. It was activated in inside-out patches by increasing the Ca2+ concentration at the intracellular face of the membrane and by depolarising potentials. The second class of channel was observed infrequently (2% of patches) and appeared to be similar to 'maxi'-Cl- channels which have been described in many other cell types. It had a conductance of 320 pS, opened to sub-conductance levels and displayed a marked voltage dependence in inside-out patches. The possible contribution of these channels to Cl- transport during the production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is discussed.

Chloride channels in cultured human skeletal muscle are regulated by G proteins

The regulation of Cl- channels in human myoballs by G proteins was studied using whole-cell and inside-out patch recordings. After perfusion of the cell with 0.1 mM GTP[gamma S], the specific Cl- conductance, GCl, at standard resting potential (-85 mV) was increased from 5.9 microS/cm2 to 103 microS/cm2, and the kinetics upon stepping the potential to positive values was changed from an activating current with very slow inactivation to a fast inactivating current with no potential-dependent activation. These effects were not affected by the simultaneous blockade of several signal cascades involving G proteins. Addition of the protein kinase blockers PKI (25 microM), H8 (10 microM), or of the phospholipase-A2-blocking agent quinacrine (10 microM), had not much influence on these GTP[gamma S] effects. Buffering of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration (0.1 microM) or addition of the Ca2+/calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine (50 microM) was also without effect. Pre-incubation of the cells with pertussis toxin or with cholera toxin did not change GCl. In excised inside-out patches voltage-clamped at -85 mV, application of GTP[gamma S] influenced the "intermediate" Cl- channel, the Cl- channel type having the highest density in these cells, by increasing the number of transitions in a half-conductance state. The probability of the channel being in one of the two conducting states rose from 0.015 to 0.67, and the kinetics of the single-channel currents was changed so that, on average, it was similar to the whole-cell current kinetics seen after application of GTP[gamma S]. It is concluded that a G protein is directly interacting with these channels.