Structural characterization of the cytosolic domain of kidney chloride/bicarbonate anion exchanger 1 (kAE1)

Unraveling the molecular landscape of kAE1: a narrative review

Kidney anion exchanger 1 (kAE1) is an isoform of the AE1 protein encoded by the SLC4A1 gene. It is a basolateral membrane protein expressed by α-intercalated cells in the connecting tubules and collecting duct of the kidney. Its main function is to exchange bicarbonate and chloride ions between the blood and urine to maintain blood pH at physiological threshold. The kAE1 protein undergoes multiple post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination and interacts with many different proteins such as claudin-4 and carbonic anhydrase II. Mutations in the gene may lead to the development of distal renal tubular acidosis, characterized by the failure to acidify the urine, which may result in nephrocalcinosis and in more severe cases, renal failure. In this review, we discuss the structure and function of kAE1, its post-translational modifications, and protein-protein interactions. Finally, we discuss insights gained from the study of kAE1 mutations in humans and in mice.

Regulation of erythrocyte Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransport by an oxygen-switched kinase cascade

Many erythrocyte processes and pathways, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), KCl cotransport, ATP release, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity, ankyrin-band 3 interactions, and nitric oxide (NO) release, are regulated by changes in O₂ pressure that occur as a red blood cell (RBC) transits between the lungs and tissues. The O₂ dependence of glycolysis, PPP, and ankyrin-band 3 interactions (affecting RBC rheology) are controlled by O₂-dependent competition between deoxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb), but not oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb), and other proteins for band 3. We undertook the present study to determine whether the O₂ dependence of Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^- cotransport (catalyzed by Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^- cotransporter 1 [NKCC1]) might similarly originate from competition between deoxyHb and a protein involved in NKCC1 regulation for a common binding site on band 3. Using three transgenic mouse strains having mutated deoxyhemoglobin-binding sites on band 3, we found that docking of deoxyhemoglobin at the N terminus of band 3 displaces the protein with no lysine kinase 1 (WNK1) from its overlapping binding site on band 3. This displacement enabled WNK1 to phosphorylate oxidative stress-responsive kinase 1 (OSR1), which, in turn, phosphorylated and activated NKCC1. Under normal solution conditions, the NKCC1 activation increased RBC volume and thereby induced changes in RBC rheology. Because the deoxyhemoglobin-mediated WNK1 displacement from band 3 in this O₂ regulation pathway may also occur in the regulation of other O₂-regulated ion transporters, we hypothesize that the NKCC1-mediated regulatory mechanism may represent a general pattern of O₂ modulation of ion transporters in erythrocytes.

Identification of adducin-binding residues on the cytoplasmic domain of erythrocyte membrane protein, band 3

Two major complexes form structural bridges that connect the erythrocyte membrane to its underlying spectrin-based cytoskeleton. Although the band 3-ankyrin bridge may account for most of the membrane-to-cytoskeleton interactions, the linkage between the cytoplasmic domain of band 3 (cdb3) and adducin has also been shown to be critical to membrane integrity. In the present paper, we demonstrate that adducin, a major component of the spectrin-actin junctional complex, binds primarily to residues 246-264 of cdb3, and mutation of two exposed glutamic acid residues within this sequence completely abrogates both α- and β-adducin binding. Because these residues are located next to the ankyrin-binding site on cdb3, it seems unlikely that band 3 can bind ankyrin and adducin concurrently, reducing the chances of an association between the ankyrin and junctional complexes that would significantly compromise erythrocyte membrane integrity. We also demonstrate that adducin binds the kidney isoform of cdb3, a spliceoform that lacks the first 65 amino acids of erythrocyte cdb3, including the central strand of a large β-pleated sheet. Because kidney cdb3 is not known to bind any of the common peripheral protein partners of erythrocyte cdb3, including ankyrin, protein 4.1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase, and phosphofructokinase, retention of this affinity for adducin was unexpected.

Effect of SLC26 anion transporter disease-causing mutations on the stability of the homologous STAS domain of E. coli DauA (YchM)

The human solute carrier 26 (SLC26) family of anion transporters consists of ten members that are found in various organs in the body including the stomach, intestine, kidney, thyroid and ear where they transport anions including bicarbonate, chloride and sulfate, typically in an exchange mode. Mutations in these genes cause a plethora of diseases such as diastrophic dysplasia affecting sulfate uptake into chondrocytes (SLC26A2), congenital chloride-losing diarrhoea (SLC26A3) affecting chloride secretion in the intestine and Pendred's syndrome (SLC26A4) resulting in hearing loss. To understand how these mutations affect the structures of the SLC26 membrane proteins and their ability to function properly, 12 human disease-causing mutants from SLC26A2, SLC26A3 and SLC26A4 were introduced into the equivalent sites of the sulfate transporter anti-sigma factor antagonist (STAS) domain of a bacterial homologue SLC26 protein DauA (YchM). Biophysical analyses including size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) and tryptophan fluorescence revealed that most mutations caused protein instability and aggregation. The mutation A463K, equivalent to N558K in human SLC26A4, which is located within α-helix 1 of the DauA STAS domain, stabilized the protein. CD measurements showed that most disease-related mutants had a mildly reduced helix content, but were more sensitive to thermal denaturation. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the mutants had more open structures and were more readily denatured by urea, whereas DSF indicated more labile folds. Overall, we conclude that the disease-associated mutations destabilized the STAS domain resulting in an increased propensity to misfold and aggregate.

Evidence of a structural and functional ammonium transporter RhBG·anion exchanger 1·ankyrin-G complex in kidney epithelial cells

The renal ammonium transporter RhBG and anion exchanger 1 kAE1 colocalize in the basolateral domain of α-intercalated cells in the distal nephron. Although we have previously shown that RhBG is linked to the spectrin-based skeleton through ankyrin-G and that its NH3 transport activity is dependent on this association, there is no evidence for an interaction of kAE1 with this adaptor protein. We report here that the kAE1 cytoplasmic N terminus actually binds to ankyrin-G, both in yeast two-hybrid analysis and by coimmunoprecipitation in situ in HEK293 cells expressing recombinant kAE1. A site-directed mutagenesis study allowed the identification of three dispersed regions on kAE1 molecule linking the third and fourth repeat domains of ankyrin-G. One secondary docking site corresponds to a major interacting loop of the erythroid anion exchanger 1 (eAE1) with ankyrin-R, whereas the main binding region of kAE1 does not encompass any eAE1 determinant. Stopped flow spectrofluorometry analysis of recombinant HEK293 cells revealed that the Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) exchange activity of a kAE1 protein mutated on the ankyrin-G binding site was abolished. This disruption impaired plasma membrane expression of kAE1 leading to total retention on cytoplasmic structures in polarized epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney cell transfectants. kAE1 also directly interacts with RhBG without affecting its surface expression and NH3 transport function. This is the first description of a structural and functional RhBG·kAE1·ankyrin-G complex at the plasma membrane of kidney epithelial cells, comparable with the well known Rh·eAE1·ankyrin-R complex in the red blood cell membrane. This renal complex could participate in the regulation of acid-base homeostasis.

Differential roles of tryptophan residues in the functional expression of human anion exchanger 1 (AE1, Band 3, SLC4A1)

Anion exchanger 1 (AE1) is a 95 kDa glycoprotein that facilitates Cl(-)=HCO(-)(3) exchange across the erythrocyte plasma membrane. This transport activity resides in the 52 kDa C-terminal membrane domain (Gly(361)-Val(911)) predicted to span the membrane 14 times. To explore the role of tryptophan (Trp) residues in AE1 function, the seven endogenous Trp residues in the membrane domain were mutated individually to alanine (Ala) and phenylalanine (Phe). Expression levels, cell surface abundance, inhibitor binding and transport activities of the mutants were measured upon expression in HEK-293 cells. The seven Trp residues divided into three classes according the impact of mutations on the functional expression of AE1: Class 1, dramatically decreased expression (Trp(492) and Trp(496)); Class 2, decreased expression by Ala substitution but not Phe (Trp(648), Trp(662) and Trp(723)); and Class 3, normal expression (Trp(831) and Trp(848)). The results indicate that Trp residues play differential roles in AE1 expression and function depending on their location in the protein and that Trp mutants with low expression are misfolded and retained in the endoplasmic reticulum.

A substrate access tunnel in the cytosolic domain is not an essential feature of the solute carrier 4 (SLC4) family of bicarbonate transporters

Anion exchanger 1 (AE1; Band 3; SLC4A1) is the founding member of the solute carrier 4 (SLC4) family of bicarbonate transporters that includes chloride/bicarbonate AEs and Na(+)-bicarbonate co-transporters (NBCs). These membrane proteins consist of an amino-terminal cytosolic domain involved in protein interactions and a carboxyl-terminal membrane domain that carries out the transport function. Mutation of a conserved arginine residue (R298S) in the cytosolic domain of NBCe1 (SLC4A4) is linked to proximal renal tubular acidosis and results in impaired transport function, suggesting that the cytosolic domain plays a role in substrate permeation. Introduction of single and double mutations at the equivalent arginine (Arg(283)) and at an interacting glutamate (Glu(85)) in the cytosolic domain of human AE1 (cdAE1) had no effect on the cell surface expression or the transport activity of AE1 expressed in HEK-293 cells. In addition, the membrane domain of AE1 (mdAE1) efficiently mediated anion transport. A 2.1-Å resolution crystal structure of cdΔ54AE1 (residues 55-356 of cdAE1) lacking the amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal disordered regions, produced at physiological pH, revealed an extensive hydrogen-bonded network involving Arg(283) and Glu(85). Mutations at these residues affected the pH-dependent conformational changes and stability of cdΔ54AE1. As these structural alterations did not impair functional expression of AE1, the cytosolic and membrane domains operate independently. A substrate access tunnel within the cytosolic domain is not present in AE1 and therefore is not an essential feature of the SLC4 family of bicarbonate transporters.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis of mammalian erythroid AE1 anion exchanger facilitated by a YXXΦ or a noncanonical YXXXΦ motif in the N-terminal stretch

To explore the roles of the conserved YXXΦ-type motif in the erythroid-specific N-terminal stretch of anion exchanger 1 (AE1), cell surface expression and internalization of various mutants derived from murine erythroid AE1 tagged with an N-terminal enhanced green fluorescent protein and an extracellular FLAG (EGFP-mAE1Flag) were explored in K562 and HEK293 cells. EGFP-mAE1Flag showed rapid internalization, in association with the internalizations of transferrin and the endogenous AE1 chaperone-like protein glycophorin A in K562 cells. Disruption of the conserved Y72VEL sequence markedly reduced the internalization and increased the relative abundance of cell-surface AE1, whereas substitution of the N-terminal region from bovine AE1 that lacks the relevant motif for the corresponding region had less of an effect on internalization. Deletion or substitution mutations of the Y7EDQL sequence in the bovine N-terminal stretch resulted in the decreased internalization of the AE1 proteins. Cell surface biotinylation and deglycosylation studies showed that approximately 30% of the cell-surface EGFP-mAE1Flag and several other mutants was sorted to the plasma membrane without N-glycan maturation in the Golgi apparatus. These findings indicate that the conserved YXXΦ sequence or a noncanonical YXXXΦ sequence in the N-terminal region facilitates the endocytic recycling of erythroid AE1 through a clathrin-mediated pathway.

Anion exchanger 1 in red blood cells and kidney: Band 3's in a pod

The bicarbonate/chloride exchanger 1 (AE1, Band 3) is abundantly expressed in the red blood cell membrane, where it is involved in gas exchange and functions as a major site of cytoskeletal attachment to the erythrocyte membrane. A truncated kidney isoform (kAE1) is highly expressed in type A intercalated cells of the distal tubules, where it is vital for urinary acidification. Recently, kAE1 has emerged as a novel physiologically significant protein in the kidney glomerulus. This minireview will discuss the known interactions of kAE1 in the podocytes and the possible mechanisms whereby this important multispanning membrane protein may contribute to the function of the glomerular filtration barrier and prevent proteinuria.

Protein 4.2 interaction with hereditary spherocytosis mutants of the cytoplasmic domain of human anion exchanger 1

AE1 (anion exchanger 1) and protein 4.2 associate in a protein complex bridging the erythrocyte membrane and cytoskeleton; disruption of the complex results in unstable erythrocytes and HS (hereditary spherocytosis). Three HS mutations (E40K, G130R and P327R) in cdAE1 (the cytoplasmic domain of AE1) occur with deficiencies of protein 4.2. The interaction of wild-type AE1, AE1HS mutants, mdEA1 (the membrane domain of AE1), kAE1 (the kidney isoform of AE1) and AE1SAO (Southeast Asian ovalocytosis AE1) with protein 4.2 was examined in transfected HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells. The HS mutants had wild-type expression levels and plasma-membrane localization. Protein 4.2 expression was not dependent on AE1. Protein 4.2 was localized throughout the cytoplasm and co-localized at the plasma membrane with the HS mutants mdAE1 and kAE1, but at the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) with AE1SAO. Pull-down assays revealed diminished levels of protein 4.2 associated with the HS mutants relative to AE1. The mdAE1 did not bind protein 4.2, whereas kAE1 and AE1SAO bound wild-type amounts of protein 4.2. A protein 4.2 fatty acylation mutant, G2A/C173A, had decreased plasma-membrane localization compared with wild-type protein 4.2, and co-expression with AE1 enhanced its plasma-membrane localization. Subcellular fractionation showed the majority of wild-type and G2A/C173A protein 4.2 was associated with the cytoskeleton of HEK-293 cells. The present study shows that cytoplasmic HS mutants cause impaired binding of protein 4.2 to AE1, leaving protein 4.2 susceptible to loss during erythrocyte development.

Molecular physiology and genetics of Na+-independent SLC4 anion exchangers

Plasmalemmal Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchangers are encoded by the SLC4 and SLC26 gene superfamilies, and function to regulate intracellular pH, [Cl(-)] and cell volume. The Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchangers of polarized epithelial cells also contribute to transepithelial secretion and reabsorption of acid-base equivalents and Cl(-). This review focuses on Na(+)-independent electroneutral Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchangers of the SLC4 family. Human SLC4A1/AE1 mutations cause the familial erythroid disorders of spherocytic anemia, stomatocytic anemia and ovalocytosis. A largely discrete set of AE1 mutations causes familial distal renal tubular acidosis. The Slc4a2/Ae2(-/-) mouse dies before weaning with achlorhydria and osteopetrosis. A hypomorphic Ae2(-/-) mouse survives to exhibit male infertility with defective spermatogenesis and a syndrome resembling primary biliary cirrhosis. A human SLC4A3/AE3 polymorphism is associated with seizure disorder, and the Ae3(-/-) mouse has increased seizure susceptibility. The transport mechanism of mammalian SLC4/AE polypeptides is that of electroneutral Cl(-)/anion exchange, but trout erythroid Ae1 also mediates Cl(-) conductance. Erythroid Ae1 may mediate the DIDS-sensitive Cl(-) conductance of mammalian erythrocytes, and, with a single missense mutation, can mediate electrogenic SO(4)(2-)/Cl(-) exchange. AE1 trafficking in polarized cells is regulated by phosphorylation and by interaction with other proteins. AE2 exhibits isoform-specific patterns of acute inhibition by acidic intracellular pH and independently by acidic extracellular pH. In contrast, AE2 is activated by hypertonicity and, in a pH-independent manner, by ammonium and by hypertonicity. A growing body of structure-function and interaction data, together with emerging information about physiological function and structure, is advancing our understanding of SLC4 anion exchangers.

Expression of anion exchanger 1 is associated with tumor progress in human gastric cancer

PURPOSE

Anion exchanger 1 (AE1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein which is abundantly expressed in erythrocyte plasma membrane and mediates the electroneutral exchange of Cl(-) and HCO(3) (-). We previously reported that the AE1 protein was unexpectedly expressed in the gastric and colonic cancer and take part in the carcinogenesis of the cancer cells. The aim of the present study is to determine the potential clinical implications of AE1 expression in gastric carcinoma.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry assay was used to determine the expression of AE1 protein. The expression of AE1 in normal and malignant tissues from 286 patients with early and advanced gastric carcinoma was examined. The correlations of AE1 expression with clinicopathological parameters, including age, tumor size, location and subtypes, expression frequency, survival period and lymph metastasis were assessed by Chi-squared test and t test analysis.

RESULTS

AE1 immunoreactivity was negative in normal gastric tissue. Positive immunostaining of AE1 was detected in gastric carcinoma regardless of the location. AE1 was most frequently expressed in the gastric antrum carcinoma compared with gastric body cancer (P = 0.034). Expression of AE1 was significantly associated with bigger tumor size, deeper invasion, shorter survival period, and non-lymph metastasis. In para-cancer tissues of intestinal-type gastric cancer, the expression frequency of AE1 was higher than that in diffuse-type (P = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

The results showed a strong association of AE1 expression with the onset and progression of the gastric cancer and that may be helpful for improving the tumor classification and the treatment of cancer.