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Hosoi Y, Akita T, Watanabe M, Ito T, Miyajima H, Fukuda A. Taurine depletion during fetal and postnatal development blunts firing responses of neocortical layer II/III pyramidal neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:806798. [PMID: 36466806 PMCID: PMC9712787 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.806798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal and infant brains are rich in maternally derived taurine. We previously demonstrated that taurine action regulates the cation-chloride cotransporter activity and the differentiation and radial migration of pyramidal neuron progenitors in the developing neocortex of rodent fetuses. Here we examined the effects of fetal and infantile taurine depletion caused by knockout of the taurine transporter Slc6a6 on firing properties of layer II/III pyramidal neurons in the mouse somatosensory cortex at 3 weeks of postnatal age, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The membrane excitability under resting conditions was similar between the neurons in knockout mice and those in wildtype littermates. However, the frequency of repetitive spike firing during moderate current injection was significantly lower, along with lower membrane voltage levels during interspike intervals in knockout neurons. When strong currents were injected, by which repetitive firing was rapidly abolished due to inactivation of voltage-gated Na+ channels in wildtype neurons, the firing in knockout neurons lasted for a much longer period than in wildtype neurons. This was due to much lower membrane voltage levels during interspike intervals in knockout neurons, promoting greater recovery of voltage-gated Na+ channels from inactivation. Thus, taurine depletion in pyramidal neurons blunted neuronal responses to external stimuli through increasing the stability of repetitive firing, presumably mediated by larger increases in membrane K+ conductance during interspike intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Hosoi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Tenpei Akita
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Division of Health Science, Department of Basic Nursing, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Miho Watanabe
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Fukui Prefectural University, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Miyajima
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Atsuo Fukuda
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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A novel role of BK potassium channel activity in preventing the development of kidney fibrosis. Kidney Int 2022; 101:945-962. [PMID: 34968553 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Kidney fibrosis is a common characteristic of chronic kidney disease and while the large conductance voltage and calcium-activated potassium channel (BK) is widely expressed in kidneys, its role in kidney fibrosis is unknown. To evaluate this, we found that BK protein expression was decreased in the fibrotic kidneys. Accompanying this was increased fibrotic marker protein expression of fibronectin, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin and increased mRNA expressions of fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, collagen III and collagen I. These changes occurred in the unilateral ureteral obstruction and folic acid models of fibrosis and were more pronounced in BK knockout than in wild-type mice. Activation of BK activity by chemical NS1619 or BMS191011 channel openers attenuated kidney fibrosis in these two models while protecting kidney function in wild-type mice. BK deficiency up-regulated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/transcription factor Smad2/3 signaling in the fibrotic kidney, whereas activation of BK activity inhibited this signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro. BK channel activation increased the degradation of TGF-β receptors induced by TGF-β1 in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, in cell lines HK-2, NRK49, and NRK-52E, BK channel activation by NS1619 led to increased caveolae formation and facilitated localization of TGF-β receptors in the microdomains of lipid rafts. Thus, our data demonstrated that BK activation has an anti-fibrotic effect on kidney fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway through accelerating TGF-β receptor degradation via the caveolae route. Hence, our study provides innovative insight into BK as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of kidney fibrosis.
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Murillo-de-Ozores AR, Rodríguez-Gama A, Carbajal-Contreras H, Gamba G, Castañeda-Bueno M. WNK4 kinase: from structure to physiology. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2021; 320:F378-F403. [PMID: 33491560 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00634.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With no lysine kinase-4 (WNK4) belongs to a serine-threonine kinase family characterized by the atypical positioning of its catalytic lysine. Despite the fact that WNK4 has been found in many tissues, the majority of its study has revolved around its function in the kidney, specifically as a positive regulator of the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron. This is explained by the description of gain-of-function mutations in the gene encoding WNK4 that causes familial hyperkalemic hypertension. This disease is mainly driven by increased downstream activation of the Ste20/SPS1-related proline-alanine-rich kinase/oxidative stress responsive kinase-1-NCC pathway, which increases salt reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule and indirectly impairs renal K+ secretion. Here, we review the large volume of information that has accumulated about different aspects of WNK4 function. We first review the knowledge on WNK4 structure and enumerate the functional domains and motifs that have been characterized. Then, we discuss WNK4 physiological functions based on the information obtained from in vitro studies and from a diverse set of genetically modified mouse models with altered WNK4 function. We then review in vitro and in vivo evidence on the different levels of regulation of WNK4. Finally, we go through the evidence that has suggested how different physiological conditions act through WNK4 to modulate NCC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Rafael Murillo-de-Ozores
- Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico.,Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Héctor Carbajal-Contreras
- Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico.,Combined Studies Program in Medicine MD/PhD (PECEM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Gamba
- Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico.,Molecular Physiology Unit, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico.,Combined Studies Program in Medicine MD/PhD (PECEM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico
| | - María Castañeda-Bueno
- Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico.,Combined Studies Program in Medicine MD/PhD (PECEM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico
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