Basolateral expression of the ammonia transporter family member Rh C glycoprotein in the mouse kidney

Role of the renal androgen receptor in sex differences in ammonia metabolism

There are sex differences in renal ammonia metabolism and structure, many of which are mediated by testosterone. The goal of the present study was to determine the role of renal expression of testosterone's canonical receptor, androgen receptor (AR), in these sexual dimorphisms. We studied mice with kidney-specific AR deletion [KS-AR-knockout (KO)] generated using Cre/loxP techniques; control mice were Cre-negative littermates (wild type). In male but not female mice, KS-AR-KO increased ammonia excretion, which eliminated sex differences. Although renal structural size typically parallel ammonia excretion, KS-AR-KO decreased kidney size, cortical proximal tubule volume density, and cortical proximal tubule cell height in males-neither were altered in females and collecting duct volume density was unaltered in both sexes. Analysis of key protein involved in ammonia handling showed in male mice that KS-AR-KO increased both phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC2) expression and decreased Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) and electrogenic Na+-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1)-A expression. In female mice, KS-AR-KO did not alter these parameters. These effects occurred even though KS-AR-KO did not alter plasma testosterone, food intake, or serum Na+, K+, or [Formula: see text] significantly in either sex. In conclusion, AR-dependent signaling pathways in male, but not female, kidneys regulate PEPCK and NKCC2 expression and lead to the sexual differences in ammonia excretion. Opposing effects on NHE3 and NBCe1-A expression likely limit the magnitude of ammonia excretion changes. As AR is not present in the thick ascending limb, the effect of KS-AR-KO on NKCC2 expression is indirect. Finally, AR mediates the greater kidney size and proximal tubule volume density in male compared with female mice.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sexual dimorphisms in ammonia metabolism involve androgen receptor (AR)-dependent signaling pathways in male, but not female, kidneys that lead to altered proximal tubule (PT), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and thick ascending limb Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter expression. Adaptive responses in Na+/H+ exchanger 3 and electrogenic Na+-bicarbonate cotransporter 1-A expression limit the magnitude of the effect on ammonia excretion. Finally, the greater kidney size and PT volume density in male mice is the result of PT androgen signaling through AR.

Testosterone modulates renal ammonia metabolism

There are substantial sex differences in renal structure and ammonia metabolism that correlate with differences in expression of proteins involved in ammonia generation and transport. This study determined the role of testis-derived testosterone in these differences. We studied 4-mo-old male C57BL/6 mice 4 and 8 wk after either bilateral orchiectomy (ORCH) or sham-operated control surgery and determined the effect of testosterone replacement to reverse the effects of ORCH. Finally, we determined the cellular expression of androgen receptor (AR), testosterone's canonical target receptor. ORCH decreased kidney and proximal tubule size, and testosterone replacement reversed this effect. ORCH increased ammonia excretion in a testosterone-dependent fashion; this occurred despite similar food intake, which is the primary component of endogenous acid production. ORCH increased expression of both phosphoenolpyruvate, a major ammonia-generating protein, and Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- cotransporter, which mediates thick ascending limb ammonia reabsorption; these changes were reversed with testosterone replacement. Orchiectomy also decreased expression of Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger isoform 3, which mediates proximal tubule ammonia secretion, in a testosterone-dependent pattern. Finally, ARs are expressed throughout the proximal tubule in both the male and female kidney. Testosterone, possibly acting through ARs, has dramatic effects on kidney and proximal tubule size and decreases ammonia excretion through its effects on several key proteins involved in ammonia metabolism.

Differences in acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia metabolism in the male and female kidney

Renal ammonia excretion is a critical component of acid-base homeostasis, and changes in ammonia excretion are the predominant component of increased net acid excretion in response to metabolic acidosis. We recently reported substantial sex-dependent differences in basal ammonia metabolism that correlate with sex-dependent differences in renal structure and expression of key proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of sex on the renal ammonia response to an exogenous acid load. We studied 4-mo-old C57BL/6 mice. Ammonia excretion, which was less in male mice under basal conditions, increased in response to acid loading to a greater extent in male mice, such that maximal ammonia excretion did not differ between the sexes. Fundamental structural sex differences in the nonacid-loaded kidney persisted after acid loading, with less cortical proximal tubule volume density in the female kidney than in the male kidney, whereas collecting duct volume density was greater in the female kidney. To further investigate sex-dependent differences in the response to acid loading, we examined the expression of proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The change in expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and Rh family B glycoprotein with acid loading was greater in male mice than in female mice, whereas Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- cotransporter and inner stripe of the outer medulla intercalated cell Rh family C glycoprotein expression were significantly greater in female mice than in male mice. There was no significant sex difference in glutamine synthetase, Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger isoform 3, or electrogenic Na⁺-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 variant A protein expression in response to acid loading. We conclude that substantial sex-dependent differences in the renal ammonia response to acid loading enable a similar maximum ammonia excretion response.

Effects of chronic hypercapnia on ammonium transport in the mouse kidney

Hypercapnia and subsequent respiratory acidosis are serious complications in many patients with respiratory disorders. The acute response to hypercapnia is buffering of H+ by hemoglobin and cellular proteins but this effect is limited. The chronic response is renal compensation that increases HCO3- reabsorption, and stimulates urinary excretion of titratable acids (TA) and NH4+ . However, the main effective pathway is the excretion of NH4+ in the collecting duct. Our hypothesis is that, the renal NH3 /NH4+ transporters, Rhbg and Rhcg, in the collecting duct mediate this response. The effect of hypercapnia on these transporters is unknown. We conducted in vivo experiments on mice subjected to chronic hypercapnia. One group breathed 8% CO2 and the other breathed normal air as control (0.04% CO2 ). After 3 days, the mice were euthanized and kidneys, blood, and urine samples were collected. We used immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis to determine the effects of high CO2 on localization and expression of the Rh proteins, carbonic anhydrase IV, and pendrin. In hypercapnic animals, there was a significant increase in urinary NH4+ excretion but no change in TA. Western blot analysis showed a significant increase in cortical expression of Rhbg (43%) but not of Rhcg. Expression of CA-IV was increased but pendrin was reduced. These data suggest that hypercapnia leads to compensatory upregulation of Rhbg that contributes to excretion of NH3 /NH4+ in the kidney. These studies are the first to show a link among hypercapnia, NH4+ excretion, and Rh expression.

Hyperchloremic normal gap metabolic acidosis

Metabolic acidosis is defined as a pathologic process that, when unopposed, increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the body and reduces the bicarbonate (HCO3-) concentration. Metabolic acidosis can be of a kidney origin or an extrarenal cause. Assessment of urinary ammonium excretion by calculating the urine anion gap or osmolal gap is a useful method to distinguish between these two causes. Extrarenal processes include increased endogenous acid production and accelerated loss of bicarbonate from the body. Metabolic acidosis of renal origin is due to a primary defect in renal acidification with no increase in extrarenal hydrogen ion production. This situation can occur because either the renal input of new bicarbonate is insufficient to regenerate the bicarbonate lost in buffering endogenous acid as with distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) or the RTA of renal insufficiency, or the filtered bicarbonate is lost by kidney wasting as in proximal RTA. In either condition, because of loss of either NaHCO3 (proximal RTA) or NaA (distal RTA), effective extracellular volume is reduced and as a result the avidity for chloride reabsorption derived from the diet is increased and results in a hyperchloremic normal gap metabolic acidosis. The RTA of renal insufficiency is also characterized by a normal gap acidosis, however, with severe reductions in the glomerular filtration rate an anion gap metabolic acidosis eventually develops.

Active mode of excretion across digestive tissues predates the origin of excretory organs

Most bilaterian animals excrete toxic metabolites through specialized organs, such as nephridia and kidneys, which share morphological and functional correspondences. In contrast, excretion in non-nephrozoans is largely unknown, and therefore the reconstruction of ancestral excretory mechanisms is problematic. Here, we investigated the excretory mode of members of the Xenacoelomorpha, the sister group to Nephrozoa, and Cnidaria, the sister group to Bilateria. By combining gene expression, inhibitor experiments, and exposure to varying environmental ammonia conditions, we show that both Xenacoelomorpha and Cnidaria are able to excrete across digestive-associated tissues. However, although the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis seems to use diffusion as its main excretory mode, the two xenacoelomorphs use both active transport and diffusion mechanisms. Based on these results, we propose that digestive-associated tissues functioned as excretory sites before the evolution of specialized organs in nephrozoans. We conclude that the emergence of a compact, multiple-layered bilaterian body plan necessitated the evolution of active transport mechanisms, which were later recruited into the specialized excretory organs.

Renal Tubular Acidosis: H+/Base and Ammonia Transport Abnormalities and Clinical Syndromes

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) represents a group of diseases characterized by (1) a normal anion gap metabolic acidosis; (2) abnormalities in renal HCO3- absorption or new renal HCO3- generation; (3) changes in renal NH4+, Ca2+, K+, and H2O homeostasis; and (4) extrarenal manifestations that provide etiologic diagnostic clues. The focus of this review is to give a general overview of the pathogenesis of the various clinical syndromes causing RTA with a particular emphasis on type I (hypokalemic distal RTA) and type II (proximal) RTA while reviewing their pathogenesis from a physiological "bottom-up" approach. In addition, the factors involved in the generation of metabolic acidosis in both type I and II RTA are reviewed highlighting the importance of altered renal ammonia production/partitioning and new HCO3- generation. Our understanding of the underlying tubular transport and extrarenal abnormalities has significantly improved since the first recognition of RTA as a clinical entity because of significant advances in clinical acid-base chemistry, whole tubule and single-cell H+/base transport, and the molecular characterization of the various transporters and channels that are functionally affected in patients with RTA. Despite these advances, additional studies are needed to address the underlying mechanisms involved in hypokalemia, altered ammonia production/partitioning, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, cystic abnormalities, and CKD progression in these patients.

Differences in renal ammonia metabolism in male and female kidney

Renal ammonia metabolism has a major role in the maintenance of acid-base homeostasis. Sex differences are well recognized as an important biological variable in many aspects of renal function, including fluid and electrolyte metabolism. However, sex differences in renal ammonia metabolism have not been previously reported. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate sex differences in renal ammonia metabolism. We studied 4-mo-old wild-type C57BL/6 mice fed a normal diet. Despite similar levels of food intake, and, thus, protein intake, which is the primary determinant of endogenous acid production, female mice excreted greater amounts of ammonia, but not titratable acids, than did male mice. This difference in ammonia metabolism was associated with fundamental structural differences between the female and male kidney. In the female mouse kidney, proximal tubules account for a lower percentage of the renal cortical parenchyma compared with the male kidney, whereas collecting ducts account for a greater percentage of the renal parenchyma than in male kidneys. To further investigate the mechanism(s) behind the greater ammonia excretion in female mice, we examined differences in the expression of proteins involved in renal ammonia metabolism and transport. Greater basal ammonia excretion in females was associated with greater expression of PEPCK, glutamine synthetase, NKCC2, Rhbg, and Rhcg than was observed in male mice. We conclude that there are sex differences in basal ammonia metabolism that involve both renal structural differences and differences in expression of proteins involved in ammonia metabolism.

Mechanism of Hyperkalemia-Induced Metabolic Acidosis

Background Hyperkalemia in association with metabolic acidosis that are out of proportion to changes in glomerular filtration rate defines type 4 renal tubular acidosis (RTA), the most common RTA observed, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the associated metabolic acidosis are incompletely understood. We sought to determine whether hyperkalemia directly causes metabolic acidosis and, if so, the mechanisms through which this occurs.Methods We studied a genetic model of hyperkalemia that results from early distal convoluted tubule (DCT)-specific overexpression of constitutively active Ste20/SPS1-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (DCT-CA-SPAK).Results DCT-CA-SPAK mice developed hyperkalemia in association with metabolic acidosis and suppressed ammonia excretion; however, titratable acid excretion and urine pH were unchanged compared with those in wild-type mice. Abnormal ammonia excretion in DCT-CA-SPAK mice associated with decreased proximal tubule expression of the ammonia-generating enzymes phosphate-dependent glutaminase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and overexpression of the ammonia-recycling enzyme glutamine synthetase. These mice also had decreased expression of the ammonia transporter family member Rhcg and decreased apical polarization of H⁺-ATPase in the inner stripe of the outer medullary collecting duct. Correcting the hyperkalemia by treatment with hydrochlorothiazide corrected the metabolic acidosis, increased ammonia excretion, and normalized ammoniagenic enzyme and Rhcg expression in DCT-CA-SPAK mice. In wild-type mice, induction of hyperkalemia by administration of the epithelial sodium channel blocker benzamil caused hyperkalemia and suppressed ammonia excretion.Conclusions Hyperkalemia decreases proximal tubule ammonia generation and collecting duct ammonia transport, leading to impaired ammonia excretion that causes metabolic acidosis.

The ammonia transporter RhCG modulates urinary acidification by interacting with the vacuolar proton-ATPases in renal intercalated cells

Ammonium, stemming from renal ammoniagenesis, is a major urinary proton buffer and is excreted along the collecting duct. This process depends on the concomitant secretion of ammonia by the ammonia channel RhCG and of protons by the vacuolar-type proton-ATPase pump. Thus, urinary ammonium content and urinary acidification are tightly linked. However, mice lacking Rhcg excrete more alkaline urine despite lower urinary ammonium, suggesting an unexpected role of Rhcg in urinary acidification. RhCG and the B1 and B2 proton-ATPase subunits could be co-immunoprecipitated from kidney. In ex vivo microperfused cortical collecting ducts (CCD) proton-ATPase activity was drastically reduced in the absence of Rhcg. Conversely, overexpression of RhCG in HEK293 cells resulted in higher proton secretion rates and increased B1 proton-ATPase mRNA expression. However, in kidneys from Rhcg-/- mice the expression of only B1 and B2 subunits was altered. Immunolocalization of proton-ATPase subunits together with immuno-gold detection of the A proton-ATPase subunit showed similar localization and density of staining in kidneys from Rhcg+/+ and Rhcg-/-mice. In order to test for a reciprocal effect of intercalated cell proton-ATPases on Rhcg activity, we assessed Rhcg and proton-ATPase activities in microperfused CCD from Atp6v1b1-/- mice and showed reduced proton-ATPase activity without altering Rhcg activity. Thus, RhCG and proton-ATPase are located within the same cellular protein complex. RhCG may modulate proton-ATPase function and urinary acidification, whereas proton-ATPase activity does not affect RhCG function. This mechanism may help to coordinate ammonia and proton secretion beyond physicochemical driving forces.

Proximal tubule glutamine synthetase expression is necessary for the normal response to dietary protein restriction

Dietary protein restriction has multiple benefits in kidney disease. Because protein intake is a major determinant of endogenous acid production, it is important that net acid excretion changes in parallel during changes in dietary protein intake. Dietary protein restriction decreases endogenous acid production and decreases urinary ammonia excretion, a major component of net acid excretion. Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the reaction of [Formula: see text] and glutamate, which regenerates the essential amino acid glutamine and decreases net ammonia generation. Because renal proximal tubule GS expression increases during dietary protein restriction, this could contribute to the decreased ammonia excretion. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of proximal tubule GS in the renal response to protein restriction. We generated mice with proximal tubule-specific GS deletion (PT-GS-KO) using Cre-loxP techniques. Cre-negative (Control) and PT-GS-KO mice in metabolic cages were provided 20% protein diet for 2 days and were then changed to low-protein (6%) diet for the next 7 days. Additional PT-GS-KO mice were maintained on 20% protein diet. Dietary protein restriction caused a rapid decrease in urinary ammonia excretion in both genotypes, but PT-GS-KO blunted this adaptive response significantly. This occurred despite no significant genotype-dependent differences in urinary pH or in serum electrolytes. There were no significant differences between Control and PT-GS-KO mice in expression of multiple other proteins involved in renal ammonia handling. We conclude that proximal tubule GS expression is necessary for the appropriate decrease in ammonia excretion during dietary protein restriction.

Ammonia Transporters and Their Role in Acid-Base Balance

Acid-base homeostasis is critical to maintenance of normal health. Renal ammonia excretion is the quantitatively predominant component of renal net acid excretion, both under basal conditions and in response to acid-base disturbances. Although titratable acid excretion also contributes to renal net acid excretion, the quantitative contribution of titratable acid excretion is less than that of ammonia under basal conditions and is only a minor component of the adaptive response to acid-base disturbances. In contrast to other urinary solutes, ammonia is produced in the kidney and then is selectively transported either into the urine or the renal vein. The proportion of ammonia that the kidney produces that is excreted in the urine varies dramatically in response to physiological stimuli, and only urinary ammonia excretion contributes to acid-base homeostasis. As a result, selective and regulated renal ammonia transport by renal epithelial cells is central to acid-base homeostasis. Both molecular forms of ammonia, NH₃ and NH₄⁺, are transported by specific proteins, and regulation of these transport processes determines the eventual fate of the ammonia produced. In this review, we discuss these issues, and then discuss in detail the specific proteins involved in renal epithelial cell ammonia transport.

Proximal tubule-specific glutamine synthetase deletion alters basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia metabolism

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the recycling of NH4 (+) with glutamate to form glutamine. GS is highly expressed in the renal proximal tubule (PT), suggesting ammonia recycling via GS could decrease net ammoniagenesis and thereby limit ammonia available for net acid excretion. The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of PT GS in ammonia metabolism under basal conditions and during metabolic acidosis. We generated mice with PT-specific GS deletion (PT-GS-KO) using Cre-loxP techniques. Under basal conditions, PT-GS-KO increased urinary ammonia excretion significantly. Increased ammonia excretion occurred despite decreased expression of key proteins involved in renal ammonia generation. After the induction of metabolic acidosis, the ability to increase ammonia excretion was impaired significantly by PT-GS-KO. The blunted increase in ammonia excretion occurred despite greater expression of multiple components of ammonia generation, including SN1 (Slc38a3), phosphate-dependent glutaminase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and Na(+)-coupled electrogenic bicarbonate cotransporter. We conclude that 1) GS-mediated ammonia recycling in the PT contributes to both basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia metabolism and 2) adaptive changes in other proteins involved in ammonia metabolism occur in response to PT-GS-KO and cause an underestimation of the role of PT GS expression.

NBCe1 expression is required for normal renal ammonia metabolism

The mechanisms regulating proximal tubule ammonia metabolism are incompletely understood. The present study addressed the role of the proximal tubule basolateral electrogenic Na(+)-coupled bicarbonate cotransporter (NBCe1; Slc4a4) in renal ammonia metabolism. We used mice with heterozygous and homozygous NBCe1 gene deletion and compared these mice with their wild-type littermates. Because homozygous NBCe1 gene deletion causes 100% mortality before day 25, we studied mice at day 8 (±1 day). Both heterozygous and homozygous gene deletion caused a gene dose-related decrease in serum bicarbonate. The ability to lower urinary pH was intact, and even accentuated, with NBCe1 deletion. However, in contrast to the well-known effect of metabolic acidosis to increase urinary ammonia excretion, NBCe1 deletion caused a gene dose-related decrease in ammonia excretion. There was no identifiable change in proximal tubule structure by light microscopy. Examination of proteins involved in renal ammonia metabolism showed decreased expression of phosphate-dependent glutaminase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, key enzymes in proximal tubule ammonia generation, and increased expression of glutamine synthetase, which recycles intrarenal ammonia and regenerates glutamine. Expression of key proteins involved in ammonia transport outside of the proximal tubule (rhesus B glycoprotein and rhesus C glycoprotein) was not significantly changed by NBCe1 deletion. We conclude from these findings that NBCe1 expression is necessary for normal proximal tubule ammonia metabolism.

Molecular mechanisms and regulation of urinary acidification

The H(+) concentration in human blood is kept within very narrow limits, ~40 nmol/L, despite the fact that dietary metabolism generates acid and base loads that are added to the systemic circulation throughout the life of mammals. One of the primary functions of the kidney is to maintain the constancy of systemic acid-base chemistry. The kidney has evolved the capacity to regulate blood acidity by performing three key functions: (i) reabsorb HCO3(-) that is filtered through the glomeruli to prevent its excretion in the urine; (ii) generate a sufficient quantity of new HCO3(-) to compensate for the loss of HCO3(-) resulting from dietary metabolic H(+) loads and loss of HCO3(-) in the urea cycle; and (iii) excrete HCO3(-) (or metabolizable organic anions) following a systemic base load. The ability of the kidney to perform these functions requires that various cell types throughout the nephron respond to changes in acid-base chemistry by modulating specific ion transport and/or metabolic processes in a coordinated fashion such that the urine and renal vein chemistry is altered appropriately. The purpose of the article is to provide the interested reader with a broad review of a field that began historically ~60 years ago with whole animal studies, and has evolved to where we are currently addressing questions related to kidney acid-base regulation at the single protein structure/function level.

Effect of dietary protein restriction on renal ammonia metabolism

Dietary protein restriction has multiple benefits in kidney disease. Because protein intake is a major determinant of endogenous acid production, it is important that net acid excretion change in parallel during protein restriction. Ammonia is the primary component of net acid excretion, and inappropriate ammonia excretion can lead to negative nitrogen balance. Accordingly, we examined ammonia excretion in response to protein restriction and then we determined the molecular mechanism of the changes observed. Wild-type C57Bl/6 mice fed a 20% protein diet and then changed to 6% protein developed an 85% reduction in ammonia excretion within 2 days, which persisted during a 10-day study. The expression of multiple proteins involved in renal ammonia metabolism was altered, including the ammonia-generating enzymes phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and the ammonia-metabolizing enzyme glutamine synthetase. Rhbg, an ammonia transporter, increased in expression in the inner stripe of outer medullary collecting duct intercalated cell (OMCDis-IC). However, collecting duct-specific Rhbg deletion did not alter the response to protein restriction. Rhcg deletion did not alter ammonia excretion in response to dietary protein restriction. These results indicate 1) dietary protein restriction decreases renal ammonia excretion through coordinated regulation of multiple components of ammonia metabolism; 2) increased Rhbg expression in the OMCDis-IC may indicate a biological role in addition to ammonia transport; and 3) Rhcg expression is not necessary to decrease ammonia excretion during dietary protein restriction.

Renal acid-base regulation: new insights from animal models

Because majority of biological processes are dependent on pH, maintaining systemic acid-base balance is critical. The kidney contributes to systemic acid-base regulation, by reabsorbing HCO3 (-) (both filtered by glomeruli and generated within a nephron) and acidifying urine. Abnormalities in those processes will eventually lead to a disruption in systemic acid-base balance and provoke metabolic acid-base disorders. Research over the past 30 years advanced our understanding on cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for those processes. In particular, a variety of transgenic animal models, where target genes are deleted either globally or conditionally, provided significant insights into how specific transporters are contributing to the renal acid-base regulation. Here, we broadly overview the mechanisms of renal ion transport participating to acid-base regulation, with emphasis on data obtained from transgenic mice models.

Relative CO₂/NH₃ permeabilities of human RhAG, RhBG and RhCG

Mammalian glycosylated rhesus (Rh) proteins include the erythroid RhAG and the nonerythroid RhBG and RhCG. RhBG and RhCG are expressed in multiple tissues, including hepatocytes and the collecting duct (CD) of the kidney. Here, we expressed human RhAG, RhBG and RhCG in Xenopus oocytes (vs. H2O-injected control oocytes) and used microelectrodes to monitor the maximum transient change in surface pH (DpHS) caused by exposing the same oocyte to 5 % CO₂/33 mM HCO₃⁻ (an increase) or 0.5 mM NH₃/NH₄⁺ (a decrease). Subtracting the respective values for day-matched, H₂O-injected control oocytes yielded channel-specific values (*). (ΔpH*(S))(CO₂) and (-ΔpH*(S))(NH₃) were each significantly >0 for all channels, indicating that RhBG and RhCG--like RhAG--can carry CO₂ and NH₃. We also investigated the role of a conserved aspartate residue, which was reported to inhibit NH₃ transport. However, surface biotinylation experiments indicate the mutants RhBG(D178N) and RhCG(D177N) have at most a very low abundance in the oocyte plasma membrane. We demonstrate for the first time that RhBG and RhCG--like RhAG--have significant CO₂ permeability, and we confirm that RhAG, RhBG and RhCG all have significant NH₃ permeability. However, as evidenced by (ΔpH*(S))(CO₂)/ (-ΔpH*(S))(NH₃) values, we could not distinguish among the CO₂/ NH₃ permeability ratios for RhAG, RhBG and RhCG. Finally, we propose a mechanism whereby RhBG and RhCG contribute to acid secretion in the CD by enhancing the transport of not only NH₃ but also CO₂ across the membranes of CD cells.

Ammonia transport in the kidney by Rhesus glycoproteins

Renal ammonia metabolism is a fundamental element of acid-base homeostasis, comprising a major component of both basal and physiologically altered renal net acid excretion. Over the past several years, a fundamental change in our understanding of the mechanisms of renal epithelial cell ammonia transport has occurred, replacing the previous model which was based upon diffusion equilibrium for NH3 and trapping of NH4(+) with a new model in which specific and regulated transport of both NH3 and NH4(+) across renal epithelial cell membranes via specific membrane proteins is required for normal ammonia metabolism. A major advance has been the recognition that members of a recently recognized transporter family, the Rhesus glycoprotein family, mediate critical roles in renal and extrarenal ammonia transport. The erythroid-specific Rhesus glycoprotein, Rh A Glycoprotein (Rhag), was the first Rhesus glycoprotein recognized as an ammonia-specific transporter. Subsequently, the nonerythroid Rh glycoproteins, Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhcg), were cloned and identified as ammonia transporters. They are expressed in specific cell populations and membrane domains in distal renal epithelial cells, where they facilitate ammonia secretion. In this review, we discuss the distribution of Rhbg and Rhcg in the kidney, the regulation of their expression and activity in physiological disturbances, the effects of genetic deletion on renal ammonia metabolism, and the molecular mechanisms of Rh glycoprotein-mediated ammonia transport.

Effect of collecting duct-specific deletion of both Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhcg) on renal response to metabolic acidosis

The Rhesus (Rh) glycoproteins, Rh B and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhbg and Rhcg, respectively), are ammonia-specific transporters expressed in renal distal nephron and collecting duct sites that are necessary for normal rates of ammonia excretion. The purpose of the current studies was to determine the effect of their combined deletion from the renal collecting duct (CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO) on basal and acidosis-stimulated acid-base homeostasis. Under basal conditions, urine pH and ammonia excretion and serum HCO3(-) were similar in control (C) and CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO mice. After acid-loading for 7 days, CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO mice developed significantly more severe metabolic acidosis than did C mice. Acid loading increased ammonia excretion, but ammonia excretion increased more slowly in CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO and it was significantly less than in C mice on days 1-5. Urine pH was significantly more acidic in CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO mice on days 1, 3, and 5 of acid loading. Metabolic acidosis increased phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and Na(+)/H(+) exchanger NHE-3 and decreased glutamine synthetase (GS) expression in both genotypes, and these changes were significantly greater in CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO than in C mice. We conclude that 1) Rhbg and Rhcg are critically important in the renal response to metabolic acidosis; 2) the significantly greater changes in PEPCK, NHE-3, and GS expression in acid-loaded CD-Rhbg/Rhcg-KO compared with acid-loaded C mice cause the role of Rhbg and Rhcg to be underestimated quantitatively; and 3) in mice with intact Rhbg and Rhcg expression, metabolic acidosis does not induce maximal changes in PEPCK, NHE-3, and GS expression despite the presence of persistent metabolic acidosis.

Uriniferous tubule: structural and functional organization

The uriniferous tubule is divided into the proximal tubule, the intermediate (thin) tubule, the distal tubule and the collecting duct. The present chapter is based on the chapters by Maunsbach and Christensen on the proximal tubule, and by Kaissling and Kriz on the distal tubule and collecting duct in the 1992 edition of the Handbook of Physiology, Renal Physiology. It describes the fine structure (light and electron microscopy) of the entire mammalian uriniferous tubule, mainly in rats, mice, and rabbits. The structural data are complemented by recent data on the location of the major transport- and transport-regulating proteins, revealed by morphological means(immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and/or mRNA in situ hybridization). The structural differences along the uriniferous tubule strictly coincide with the distribution of the major luminal and basolateral transport proteins and receptors and both together provide the basis for the subdivision of the uriniferous tubule into functional subunits. Data on structural adaptation to defined functional changes in vivo and to genetical alterations of specified proteins involved in transepithelial transport importantly deepen our comprehension of the correlation of structure and function in the kidney, of the role of each segment or cell type in the overall renal function,and our understanding of renal pathophysiology.

Expression of the rhesus glycoproteins, ammonia transporter family members, RHCG and RHBG in male reproductive organs

The rhesus glycoproteins, Rh B glycoprotein (RHBG) and Rh C glycoprotein (RHCG), are recently identified ammonia transporters. Rhcg expression is necessary for normal male fertility, but its specific cellular expression is unknown, and Rhbg has not been reported to be expressed in the male reproductive tract. This study sought to determine the specific cellular expression of Rhcg, to determine whether Rhbg is expressed in the male reproductive tract, and, if so, to determine which cells express Rhbg using real-time RT-PCR, immunoblot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Both Rhbg and Rhcg were expressed throughout the male reproductive tract. In the testis, high levels of Rhbg were expressed in Leydig cells, and Rhcg was expressed in spermatids during the later stages of their maturation (steps 13-16) in stages I-VIII of the seminiferous epithelium cycle. In the epididymis, basolateral Rhbg was present in narrow cells in the initial segment, in principal cells in the upper corpus, and in clear cells throughout the epididymis. Apical Rhcg immunolabel was present in principal cells in the caput and upper corpus epididymidis and in clear cells in the middle and lower corpus and cauda epididymidis. In the vas deferens, apical Rhcg immunolabel and basolateral Rhbg immunolabel were present in some principal cells and colocalized with H(+)-ATPase immunolabel. We conclude that both Rhbg and Rhcg are highly expressed in specific cells in the male reproductive tract where they can contribute to multiple components of male fertility.

Expression of glutamine synthetase in the mouse kidney: localization in multiple epithelial cell types and differential regulation by hypokalemia

Renal glutamine synthetase catalyzes the reaction of NH4+ with glutamate, forming glutamine and decreasing the ammonia available for net acid excretion. The purpose of the present study was to determine glutamine synthetase's specific cellular expression in the mouse kidney and its regulation by hypokalemia, a common cause of altered renal ammonia metabolism. Glutamine synthetase mRNA and protein were present in the renal cortex and in both the outer and inner stripes of the outer medulla. Immunohistochemistry showed glutamine synthetase expression throughout the entire proximal tubule and in nonproximal tubule cells. Double immunolabel with cell-specific markers demonstrated glutamine synthetase expression in type A intercalated cells, non-A, non-B intercalated cells, and distal convoluted tubule cells, but not in principal cells, type B intercalated cells, or connecting segment cells. Hypokalemia induced by feeding a nominally K+ -free diet for 12 days decreased glutamine synthetase expression throughout the entire proximal tubule and in the distal convoluted tubule and simultaneously increased glutamine synthetase expression in type A intercalated cells in both the cortical and outer medullary collecting duct. We conclude that glutamine synthetase is widely and specifically expressed in renal epithelial cells and that the regulation of expression differs in specific cell populations. Glutamine synthetase is likely to mediate an important role in renal ammonia metabolism.

Expression of the ammonia transporter family member, Rh B Glycoprotein, in the human kidney

The ammonia transporter family member, Rh B Glycoprotein (RhBG/Rhbg), is essential for ammonia transport by the rodent kidney, but in the human kidney mRNA but not protein expression has been reported. Because ammonia transport is fundamental for acid-base homeostasis, the current study addressed RhBG expression in the human kidney. Two distinct RhBG mRNA sequences have been reported, with different numbers of consecutive cytosines at nt1265 and thus encoding different carboxy-tails. Sequencing the region of difference in both human kidney and liver mRNA showed eight sequential cytosines, not seven as in some reports. Knowing the correct mRNA sequence for RhBG, we then assessed RhBG protein expression using antibodies against the correct amino acid sequence. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated RhBG protein expression in human kidney and immunohistochemistry identified basolateral RhBG in connecting segment (CNT) and the cortical and outer medullary collecting ducts. Colocalization of RhBG with multiple cell-specific markers demonstrated that that CNT cells and collecting duct type A intercalated cells express high levels of RhBG, and type B intercalated cells and principal cells do not express detectable RhBG. Thus, these studies identify the correct mRNA and thus protein sequence for human RhBG and show that the human kidney expresses basolateral RhBG protein in CNT, type A intercalated cells, and non-A, non-B cells. We conclude that RhBG can mediate an important role in human renal ammonia transport.

Intercalated cell-specific Rh B glycoprotein deletion diminishes renal ammonia excretion response to hypokalemia

The ammonia transporter family member, Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg), is an ammonia-specific transporter heavily expressed in the kidney and is necessary for the normal increase in ammonia excretion in response to metabolic acidosis. Hypokalemia is a common clinical condition in which there is increased renal ammonia excretion despite the absence of metabolic acidosis. The purpose of this study was to examine Rhbg's role in this response through the use of mice with intercalated cell-specific Rhbg deletion (IC-Rhbg-KO). Hypokalemia induced by feeding a K(+)-free diet increased urinary ammonia excretion significantly. In mice with intact Rhbg expression, hypokalemia increased Rhbg protein expression in intercalated cells in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) and in the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD). Deletion of Rhbg from intercalated cells inhibited hypokalemia-induced changes in urinary total ammonia excretion significantly and completely prevented hypokalemia-induced increases in urinary ammonia concentration, but did not alter urinary pH. We conclude that hypokalemia increases Rhbg expression in intercalated cells in the cortex and outer medulla and that intercalated cell Rhbg expression is necessary for the normal increase in renal ammonia excretion in response to hypokalemia.

Renal ammonia metabolism and transport

Renal ammonia metabolism and transport mediates a central role in acid-base homeostasis. In contrast to most renal solutes, the majority of renal ammonia excretion derives from intrarenal production, not from glomerular filtration. Renal ammoniagenesis predominantly results from glutamine metabolism, which produces 2 NH4(+) and 2 HCO3(-) for each glutamine metabolized. The proximal tubule is the primary site for ammoniagenesis, but there is evidence for ammoniagenesis by most renal epithelial cells. Ammonia produced in the kidney is either excreted into the urine or returned to the systemic circulation through the renal veins. Ammonia excreted in the urine promotes acid excretion; ammonia returned to the systemic circulation is metabolized in the liver in a HCO3(-)-consuming process, resulting in no net benefit to acid-base homeostasis. Highly regulated ammonia transport by renal epithelial cells determines the proportion of ammonia excreted in the urine versus returned to the systemic circulation. The traditional paradigm of ammonia transport involving passive NH3 diffusion, protonation in the lumen and NH4(+) trapping due to an inability to cross plasma membranes is being replaced by the recognition of limited plasma membrane NH3 permeability in combination with the presence of specific NH3-transporting and NH4(+)-transporting proteins in specific renal epithelial cells. Ammonia production and transport are regulated by a variety of factors, including extracellular pH and K(+), and by several hormones, such as mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and angiotensin II. This coordinated process of regulated ammonia production and transport is critical for the effective maintenance of acid-base homeostasis.

Haploinsufficiency of the ammonia transporter Rhcg predisposes to chronic acidosis: Rhcg is critical for apical and basolateral ammonia transport in the mouse collecting duct

Ammonia secretion by the collecting duct (CD) is critical for acid-base homeostasis and, when defective, causes distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). The Rhesus protein RhCG mediates NH(3) transport as evident from cell-free and cellular models as well as from Rhcg-null mice. Here, we investigated in a Rhcg mouse model the metabolic effects of Rhcg haploinsufficiency, the role of Rhcg in basolateral NH(3) transport, and the mechanisms of adaptation to the lack of Rhcg. Both Rhcg(+/+) and Rhcg(+/-) mice were able to handle an acute acid load, whereas Rhcg(-/-) mice developed severe metabolic acidosis with reduced ammonuria and high mortality. However, chronic acid loading revealed that Rhcg(+/-) mice did not fully recover, showing lower blood HCO(3)(-) concentration and more alkaline urine. Microperfusion studies demonstrated that transepithelial NH(3) permeability was reduced by 80 and 40%, respectively, in CDs from Rhcg(-/-) and Rhcg(+/-) mice compared with controls. Basolateral membrane permeability to NH(3) was reduced in CDs from Rhcg(-/-) mice consistent with basolateral Rhcg localization. Rhcg(-/-) responded to acid loading with normal expression of enzymes and transporters involved in proximal tubular ammoniagenesis but reduced abundance of the NKCC2 transporter responsible for medullary accumulation of ammonium. Consequently, tissue ammonium content was decreased. These data demonstrate a role for apical and basolateral Rhcg in transepithelial NH(3) transport and uncover an incomplete dRTA phenotype in Rhcg(+/-) mice. Haploinsufficiency or reduced expression of RhCG may underlie human forms of (in)complete dRTA.

Renal ammonia excretion in response to hypokalemia: effect of collecting duct-specific Rh C glycoprotein deletion

The Rhesus factor protein, Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg), is an ammonia transporter whose expression in the collecting duct is necessary for normal ammonia excretion both in basal conditions and in response to metabolic acidosis. Hypokalemia is a common clinical condition associated with increased renal ammonia excretion. In contrast to basal conditions and metabolic acidosis, increased ammonia excretion during hypokalemia can lead to an acid-base disorder, metabolic alkalosis, rather than maintenance of acid-base homeostasis. The purpose of the current studies was to determine Rhcg's role in hypokalemia-stimulated renal ammonia excretion through the use of mice with collecting duct-specific Rhcg deletion (CD-Rhcg-KO). In mice with intact Rhcg expression, a K(+)-free diet increased urinary ammonia excretion and urine alkalinization and concurrently increased Rhcg expression in the collecting duct in the outer medulla. Immunohistochemistry and immunogold electron microscopy showed hypokalemia increased both apical and basolateral Rhcg expression. In CD-Rhcg-KO, a K(+)-free diet increased urinary ammonia excretion and caused urine alkalinization, and the magnitude of these changes did not differ from mice with intact Rhcg expression. In mice on a K(+)-free diet, CD-Rhcg-KO increased phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG) expression in the outer medulla. We conclude that hypokalemia increases collecting duct Rhcg expression, that this likely contributes to the hypokalemia-stimulated increase in urinary ammonia excretion, and that adaptive increases in PDG expression can compensate for the absence of collecting duct Rhcg.

Effect of hypokalemia on renal expression of the ammonia transporter family members, Rh B Glycoprotein and Rh C Glycoprotein, in the rat kidney

Hypokalemia is a common electrolyte disorder that increases renal ammonia metabolism and can cause the development of an acid-base disorder, metabolic alkalosis. The ammonia transporter family members, Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg), are expressed in the distal nephron and collecting duct and mediate critical roles in acid-base homeostasis by facilitating ammonia secretion. In the current studies, the effect of hypokalemia on renal Rhbg and Rhcg expression was examined. Normal Sprague-Dawley rats received either K(+)-free or control diets for 2 wk. Rats receiving the K(+)-deficient diet developed hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis associated with significant increases in both urinary ammonia excretion and urine pH. Rhcg expression increased in the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD). In OMCD intercalated cells, hypokalemia resulted in more discrete apical Rhcg expression and a marked increase in apical plasma membrane immunolabel. In principal cells, in the OMCD, hypokalemia increased both apical and basolateral Rhcg immunolabel intensity. Cortical Rhcg expression was not detectably altered by immunohistochemistry, although there was a slight decrease in total expression by immunoblot analysis. Rhbg protein expression was decreased slightly in the cortex and not detectably altered in the outer medulla. We conclude that in rat OMCD, hypokalemia increases Rhcg expression, causes more polarized apical expression in intercalated cells, and increases both apical and basolateral expression in the principal cell. Increased plasma membrane Rhcg expression in response to hypokalemia in the rat, particularly in the OMCD, likely contributes to the increased ammonia excretion and thereby to the development of metabolic alkalosis.

Role of NH3 and NH4+ transporters in renal acid-base transport

Renal ammonia excretion is the predominant component of renal net acid excretion. The majority of ammonia excretion is produced in the kidney and then undergoes regulated transport in a number of renal epithelial segments. Recent findings have substantially altered our understanding of renal ammonia transport. In particular, the classic model of passive, diffusive NH3 movement coupled with NH4+ "trapping" is being replaced by a model in which specific proteins mediate regulated transport of NH3 and NH4+ across plasma membranes. In the proximal tubule, the apical Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-3, is a major mechanism of preferential NH4+ secretion. In the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, the apical Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter, NKCC2, is a major contributor to ammonia reabsorption and the basolateral Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-4, appears to be important for basolateral NH4+ exit. The collecting duct is a major site for renal ammonia secretion, involving parallel H+ secretion and NH3 secretion. The Rhesus glycoproteins, Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhcg), are recently recognized ammonia transporters in the distal tubule and collecting duct. Rhcg is present in both the apical and basolateral plasma membrane, is expressed in parallel with renal ammonia excretion, and mediates a critical role in renal ammonia excretion and collecting duct ammonia transport. Rhbg is expressed specifically in the basolateral plasma membrane, and its role in renal acid-base homeostasis is controversial. In the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), basolateral Na+-K+-ATPase enables active basolateral NH4+ uptake. In addition to these proteins, several other proteins also contribute to renal NH3/NH4+ transport. The role and mechanisms of these proteins are discussed in depth in this review.

Molecular physiology of the Rh ammonia transport proteins

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recent studies have identified a new family of ammonia-specific transporters, Rh glycoproteins, which enable NH3-specific transport. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent evidence regarding the role of Rh glycoproteins in renal ammonia transport.

RECENT FINDINGS

The Rh glycoproteins, RhAG/Rhag, RhBG/Rhbg and RhCG/Rhcg, transport ammonia in the form of molecular NH3, although there is some evidence suggesting the possibility of NH4 transport. RhAG/Rhag is expressed only in erythrocytes, and not in the kidney. Rhbg and Rhcg are expressed in distal nephron sites, from the distal convoluted tubule through the inner medullary collecting duct, with basolateral Rhbg expression and both apical and basolateral Rhcg expression. Whether Rhbg contributes to renal ammonia transport remains controversial. Rhcg expression parallels ammonia excretion in multiple experimental models and genetic deletion studies, both global and collecting duct-specific, demonstrate a critical role for Rhcg in both basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion. X-ray crystallography has defined critical structural elements in Rh glycoprotein-mediated ammonia transport. Finally, Rh glycoproteins may also function as CO2 transporters.

SUMMARY

No longer can NH3 transport be considered to occur only through diffusive NH3 movement. Transporter-mediated NH3 movement is fundamental to ammonia metabolism.

Sharpey-Schafer lecture: gas channels

The traditional dogma has been that all gases diffuse through all membranes simply by dissolving in the lipid phase of the membrane. Although this mechanism may explain how most gases move through most membranes, it is now clear that some membranes have no demonstrable gas permeability, and that at least two families of membrane proteins, the aquaporins (AQPs) and the Rhesus (Rh) proteins, can each serve as pathways for the diffusion of both CO₂ and NH₃. The knockout of RhCG in the renal collecting duct leads to the predicted consequences in acid–base physiology, providing a clear-cut role for at least one gas channel in the normal physiology of mammals. In our laboratory, we have found that surface-pH (pH_S) transients provide a sensitive approach for detecting CO₂ and NH₃ movement across the cell membranes of Xenopus oocytes. Using this approach, we have found that each tested AQP and Rh protein has its own characteristic CO₂/NH₃ permeability ratio, which provides the first demonstration of gas selectivity by a channel. Our preliminary AQP1 data suggest that all the NH₃ and less than half of the CO₂ move along with H₂O through the four monomeric aquapores. The majority of CO₂ takes an alternative route through AQP1, possibly the central pore at the four-fold axis of symmetry. Preliminary data with two Rh proteins, bacterial AmtB and human erythroid RhAG, suggest a similar story, with all the NH₃ moving through the three monomeric NH₃ pores and the CO₂ taking a separate route, perhaps the central pore at the three-fold axis of symmetry. The movement of different gases via different pathways is likely to underlie the gas selectivity that these channels exhibit.

Role of the Rhesus glycoprotein, Rh B glycoprotein, in renal ammonia excretion

Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) is a member of the Rh glycoprotein family of ammonia transporters. In the current study, we examine Rhbg's role in basal and acidosis-stimulated acid-base homeostasis. Metabolic acidosis induced by HCl administration increased Rhbg expression in both the cortex and outer medulla. To test the functional significance of increased Rhbg expression, we used a Cre-loxP approach to generate mice with intercalated cell-specific Rhbg knockout (IC-Rhbg-KO). On normal diet, intercalated cell-specific Rhbg deletion did not alter urine ammonia excretion, pH, or titratable acid excretion significantly, but it did decrease glutamine synthetase expression in the outer medulla significantly. After metabolic acidosis was induced, urinary ammonia excretion was significantly less in IC-Rhbg-KO than in control (C) mice on days 2-4 of acid loading, but not on day 5. Urine pH and titratable acid excretion and dietary acid intake did not differ significantly between acid-loaded IC-Rhcg-KO and C mice. In IC-Rhbg-KO mice, acid loading increased connecting segment (CNT) cell and outer medullary collecting duct principal cell Rhbg expression. In both C and IC-Rhbg-KO mice, acid loading decreased glutamine synthetase in both the cortex and outer medulla; the decrease on day 3 was similar in IC-Rhbg-KO and C mice, but on day 5 it was significantly greater in IC-Rhbg-KO than in C mice. We conclude 1) intercalated cell Rhbg contributes to acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion, 2) Rhbg in CNT and principal cells may contribute to renal ammonia excretion, and 3) decreased glutamine synthetase expression may enable normal rates of ammonia excretion under both basal conditions and on day 5 of acid loading in IC-Rhbg-KO mice.

Expression of ammonia transporter family members, Rh B glycoprotein and Rh C glycoprotein, in the developing rat kidney

Ammonia metabolism is a primary component of acid-base homeostasis but is incompletely developed at time of birth. Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg) are recently recognized ammonia transporter family members expressed in the mammalian kidney. This study's purpose was to establish the expression and localization of Rhbg and Rhcg during kidney development. We examined kidneys from fetal days 16 (E16), 18 (E18), and 20 (E20), and from the first 21 days of postnatal development. Rhbg was expressed initially at E18, with expression only in the connecting tubule (CNT); at E20, Rhbg was expressed in both the CNT and the medullary collecting duct (MCD). In contrast, Rhcg was first expressed at E16 with basal expression in the ureteric bud; at E18, it was expressed in a subset of CNT cells with an apical pattern, followed by apical and basolateral expression in the MCD at E20. In the cortex, Rhbg and Rhcg expression increased in the CNT before expression in the cortical collecting duct during fetal development. In the MCD, both Rhbg and Rhcg expression was initially in cells in the papillary tip, with gradual removal from the tip during the late fetal period and transition during the early neonatal period to an adult pattern with predominant expression in the outer MCD and only rare expression in cells in the initial inner MCD. Double-labeling with intercalated cell-specific markers identified that Rhbg and Rhcg were expressed initially in CNT cells, CNT A-type intercalated cells and non-A, non-B intercalated cells, and in MCD A-type intercalated cells. We conclude that expression of Rhbg and Rhcg parallels intercalated cell development and that immature Rhbg and Rhcg expression at birth contributes to incomplete ammonia excretion capacity.

Function of human Rh based on structure of RhCG at 2.1 A

In humans, NH(3) transport across cell membranes is facilitated by the Rh (rhesus) family of proteins. Human Rh C glycoprotein (RhCG) forms a trimeric complex that plays an essential role in ammonia excretion and renal pH regulation. The X-ray crystallographic structure of human RhCG, determined at 2.1 A resolution, reveals the mechanism of ammonia transport. Each monomer contains 12 transmembrane helices, one more than in the bacterial homologs. Reconstituted into proteoliposomes, RhCG conducts NH(3) to raise internal pH. Models of the erythrocyte Rh complex based on our RhCG structure suggest that the erythrocytic Rh complex is composed of stochastically assembled heterotrimers of RhAG, RhD, and RhCE.

Effect of intercalated cell-specific Rh C glycoprotein deletion on basal and metabolic acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion

Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg) is an NH(3)-specific transporter expressed in both intercalated cells (IC) and principal cells (PC) in the renal collecting duct. Recent studies show that deletion of Rhcg from both intercalated and principal cells inhibits both basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion. The purpose of the current studies was to better understand the specific role of Rhcg expression in intercalated cells in basal and metabolic acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion. We generated mice with intercalated cell-specific Rhcg deletion (IC-Rhcg-KO) using Cre-loxP techniques; control (C) mice were floxed Rhcg but Cre negative. Under basal conditions, IC-Rhcg-KO and C mice excreted urine with similar ammonia content and pH. Mice were then acid loaded by adding HCl to their diet. Ammonia excretion after acid loading increased similarly in IC-Rhcg-KO and C mice during the first 2 days of acid loading but on day 3 was significantly less in IC-Rhcg-KO than in C mice. During the first 2 days of acid loading, urine was significantly more acidic in IC-Rhcg-KO mice than in C mice; there was no difference on day 3. In IC-Rhcg-KO mice, acid loading increased principal cell Rhcg expression in both the cortex and outer medulla as well as expression of another ammonia transporter, Rh glycoprotein B (Rhbg), in principal cells in the outer medulla. We conclude that 1) Rhcg expression in intercalated cells is necessary for the normal renal response to metabolic acidosis; 2) principal cell Rhcg contributes to both basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia excretion; and 3) adaptations in Rhbg expression occur in response to acid-loading.

Expression of the gas-transporting proteins, Rh B glycoprotein and Rh C glycoprotein, in the murine lung

A family of gas-transporting proteins, the Mep/Amt/Rh glycoprotein family, has been identified recently. These are integral membrane proteins, are widely expressed in sites of gas transport, and are known to transport the gaseous molecule, NH(3), and recent evidence indicates they can transport CO(2). Because the mammalian lung is a critical site for gas transport, the current studies examine the expression of the nonerythroid members of this extended family, Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg), in the normal mouse lung. Real-time RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis demonstrated both Rhbg and Rhcg mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated both Rhbg and Rhcg were expressed in bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells. Rhbg was expressed by Clara cells, specifically, whereas all bronchial/bronchiolar epithelial cells, with the exception of goblet cells, expressed Rhcg. Rhbg expression was basolateral, whereas Rhcg exhibited apical and intracellular immunolabel, polarized expression similar to that observed in Rhbg- and Rhcg-expressing epithelial cells in other organs. There was no detectable expression of either Rhbg or Rhcg in alveolar endothelial or epithelial cells, in pneumocytes or in vascular tissue. In vitro studies using cultured bronchial epithelial cells confirm Rhbg and Rhcg expression, demonstrate that saturable, not diffusive, transport is the primary mechanism of ammonia/methylammonia transport, and show that the saturable transport mechanism has kinetics similar to those demonstrated previously for Rhbg and Rhcg. These findings suggest Rhbg and Rhcg may contribute to bronchial epithelial cell ammonia metabolism and suggest that they do not contribute to pulmonary CO(2) transport.

Renal handling of ammonium and Acid base regulation

Renal ammonium metabolism is the primary component of net acid excretion and thereby is critical for acid-base homeostasis. Briefly, ammonium is produced from glutamine in the proximal tubule in a series of biochemical reactions that result in equimolar bicarbonate. Ammonium is predominantly secreted into the luminal fluid via the apical Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger, NHE3. The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle reabsorbs luminal ammonium, predominantly by transport of NH₄⁺ by the apical Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^- cotransporter, BSC1/NKCC2. This process results in renal interstitial ammonium accumulation. Finally, the collecting duct secretes ammonium from the renal interstitium into the luminal fluid. Although in past ammonium was believed to move across epithelia entirely by passive diffusion, an increasing number of studies demonstrated that specific proteins contribute to renal ammonium transport. Recent studies have yielded important new insights into the mechanisms of renal ammonium transport. In this review, we will discuss renal handling of ammonium, with particular emphasis on the transporters involved in this process.

Expression of rh glycoproteins in the Mammalian kidney

Ammonia metabolism is a fundamental process in the maintenance of life in all living organisms. Recent studies have identified ammonia transporter family proteins in yeast (Mep), plants (Amt), and mammals (Rh glycoproteins). In mammalian kidneys, where ammonia metabolism and transport are critically important for the regulation of systemic acid-base homeostasis, basolateral Rh B glycoprotein and apical/basolateral Rh C glycoprotein are expressed along the distal nephron segments. Data from experimental animal models and knockout mice suggest that the Rh glycoproteins appear to mediate important roles in urinary ammonia excretion.

Collecting duct-specific Rh C glycoprotein deletion alters basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion

NH3 movement across plasma membranes has traditionally been ascribed to passive, lipid-phase diffusion. However, ammonia-specific transporters, Mep/Amt proteins, are present in primitive organisms and mammals express orthologs of Mep/Amt proteins, the Rh glycoproteins. These findings suggest that the mechanisms of NH3 movement in mammalian tissues should be reexamined. Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg) is expressed in the collecting duct, where NH3 secretion is necessary for both basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia transport. To determine whether the collecting duct secretes NH3 via Rhcg or via lipid-phase diffusion, we generated mice with collecting duct-specific Rhcg deletion (CD-KO). CD-KO mice had loxP sites flanking exons 5 and 9 of the Rhcg gene (Rhcg(fl/fl)) and expressed Cre-recombinase under control of the Ksp-cadherin promoter (Ksp-Cre). Control (C) mice were Rhcg(fl/fl) but Ksp-Cre negative. We confirmed kidney-specific genomic recombination using PCR analysis and collecting duct-specific Rhcg deletion using immunohistochemistry. Under basal conditions, urinary ammonia excretion was less in KO vs. C mice; urine pH was unchanged. After acid-loading for 7 days, CD-KO mice developed more severe metabolic acidosis than did C mice. Urinary ammonia excretion did not increase significantly on the first day of acidosis in CD-KO mice, despite an intact ability to increase urine acidification, whereas it increased significantly in C mice. On subsequent days, urinary ammonia excretion slowly increased in CD-KO mice, but was always significantly less than in C mice. We conclude that collecting duct Rhcg expression contributes to both basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion, indicating that collecting duct ammonia secretion is, at least in part, mediated by Rhcg and not solely by lipid diffusion.

RhCG is the major putative ammonia transporter expressed in the human kidney, and RhBG is not expressed at detectable levels

Rhesus glycoprotein homologs RhAG, RhBG, and RhCG comprise a recently identified branch of the Mep/Amt ammonia transporter family. Animal studies have shown that RhBG and RhCG are present in the kidney distal tubules. Studies in mouse and rat tissue suggest a basolateral localization for RhBG in cells of the distal tubules including the alpha-intercalated cells (alpha-IC), but no localization of RhBG has been reported in human tissue. To date RhCG localization has been described as exclusively apical plasma membrane in mouse and rat kidney, or apical and basolateral in humans, and some mouse and rat tissue studies. We raised novel antibodies to RhBG and RhCG to examine their localization in the human kidney. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCKI) cell lines stably expressing human green fluorescent protein-tagged RhBG or RhCG and human tissue lysates were used to demonstrate the specificity of these antibodies for detecting RhBG and RhCG. Using immunoperoxidase staining and antigen liberation techniques, both apical and basolateral RhCG localization was observed in the majority of the cells of the distal convoluted tubule and IC of the connecting tubule and collecting duct. Confocal microscopic imaging of normal human kidney cryosections showed that RhCG staining was predominantly localized to the apical membrane in these cells with some basolateral and intracellular staining evident. A proportion of RhCG staining labeled kAE1-positive cells, confirming that RhCG is localized to the alpha-IC cells. Surprisingly, no RhBG protein was detectable in the human kidney by Western blot analysis of tissue lysates, or by immunohistochemistry or confocal microscopy of tissue sections. The same antibodies, however, could detect RhBG in rat tissue. We conclude that under normal conditions, RhCG is the major putative ammonia transporter expressed in the human kidney and RhBG is not expressed at detectable levels.