Protein prenylation is required for aldosterone-stimulated Na+ transport

Aldosterone stimulation of transcellular Na+ flux in polarized epithelial cells is dependent on at least one transmethylation reaction, but the substrate of this signaling step is unknown. Because it is clear that the majority of cellular protein methylation occurs in conjunction with protein prenylation, we examined the importance of prenylation to aldosterone-stimulated Na+ transport in the A6 cell line. Lovastatin, an inhibitor of the first committed step of the mevalonate pathway, inhibits the natriferic effect of aldosterone but does not inhibit insulin-stimulated Na+ flux. The addition of a farnesyl group does not appear to be involved in aldosterone's action. Neither alpha-hydroxyfarne-sylphosphonic acid, an inhibitor of farnesyl:protein transferase, nor N-acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine, an inhibitor of farnesylated protein methylation, inhibits the hormone-induced increase in Na+ transport. In contrast, N-acetyl-S-geranyl-geranyl-L-cysteine, an inhibitor of geranylgeranyl protein methylation, completely abolishes the aldosterone-induced increase in Na+ flux with no effect on insulin-mediated Na+ transport or cellular protein content. These data indicate that methylation of a geranylgeranylated protein is involved in aldosterone's natriferic action.

Aldosterone-induced increase in the abundance of Na+ channel subunits

The highly selective, amilorideblockable Na+ channel is a major target to the natriferic action of the mineralocorticoid aldosterone. This rat epithelial Na+ channel (rENaC) has been recently cloned from colon and is composed of three homologous subunits denoted alpha-, beta-, and gamma-rENaC (C. M. Canessa, L. Schild, G. Buell, B. Thorens, L. Gautschi, J.-D. Horisberger, and B. C. Rossier. Nature Lond. 367: 463-467, 1994). We have tested the effects of corticosteroids on the abundance of mRNA coding for each subunit in kidney cortex and distal colon. Chronic treatment of rats with aldosterone or dexamethasone evoked in kidney cortex a small induction of alpha-rENaC and no change in beta- and gamma-rENaC. In distal colon, however, beta- and gamma-rENaC were strongly induced by either aldosterone or dexamethasone, whereas alpha-rENaC was constitutively expressed. Most of the aldosterone-induced increase in beta- and gamma-rENaC mRNA took place during 3-24 h after plasma aldosterone was elevated. A similar differential induction of rENaC subunits in kidney and colon was also evoked by a Na(+)-free diet. The effects of salt deprivation were reversed by resalinating rats with a half time of < 2 h, suggesting a high turnover rate of at least beta- and gamma-rENaC. The data are consistent with the possibility that induction of channel subunits contributes to the chronic but not the acute response to aldosterone in the colon. Such a mechanism is not likely to play a major role in cortical collecting ducts.

Effect of vasopressin on intracellular [Ca] and Na transport in cultured toad bladder cells

Intracellular free [Ca] [( Ca]i) and transepithelial sodium transport were measured simultaneously in cultured toad bladder cells grown on collagen-coated filters. [Ca]i was measured with fura-2 and fluorescence microscopy while sodium transport was measured as the short-circuit current (Isc) with a voltage clamp. Following stimulation with vasopressin [Ca]i and Isc rose in parallel to maximal values within 10 min. [Ca]i increased from 65 +/- 5 to 123 +/- 12 nM and Isc, from 11 +/- 3 to 25 +/- 6 microA (n = 4). The vasopressin-induced rise in [Ca]i correlated significantly with the increase in Isc, suggesting that the rise in [Ca]i might be necessary for the increase in Isc. If so, then adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), which mimics the natriferic action of vasopressin, should also increase [Ca]i. Although cAMP increased [Ca]i to a peak value of 32 +/- 13% (P less than 0.05) above control at 10 min, the rise in Isc did not parallel the increase in [Ca]i. Isc peaked instead at 20 min, rising to 114 +/- 25% (P less than 0.05) over control, during which time [Ca]i returned to base line. This result suggested that a steady state increase in [Ca]i was not necessary for the natriferic action of cAMP. This notion was confirmed in experiments in which the vasopressin-induced increase in [Ca]i was prevented by bathing the tissue in a low-[Ca] buffer. Under these conditions, Isc increased 37 +/- 9% above control (P less than 0.05, n = 4) even though [Ca]i remained largely unchanged. Our results suggest that although vasopressin increases [Ca]i in toad bladder cells, the rise in [Ca]i does not seem to play a role in the natriferic response. These experiments also demonstrate the utility of making simultaneous measurements of ion transport and [Ca]i, which allow direct examination of calcium's role in mediating ion transport.