TY - JOUR
T1 - NH3 and NH4+ permeability in aquaporin-expressing Xenopus oocytes
AU - Holm, Lars M.
AU - Jahn, Thomas Paul
AU - Møller, Anders Laurell Blom
AU - Schjørring, Jan Kofod
AU - Ferri, Domenico
AU - Klærke, Dan Arne
AU - Zeuthen, Thomas
N1 - Paper id:: DOI 10.1007/s00424-005-1399-1
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - We have shown recently, in a yeast expression system, that some aquaporins are permeable to ammonia. In the present study, we expressed the mammalian aquaporins AQP8, AQQP9, AQP3, AQP1 and a plant aquaporin TIP2;1 in Xenopus oocytes to study the transport of ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) under opencircuit and voltage-clamped conditions. TIP2;1 was tested as the wild-type and in a mutated version (tip2;1) in which the water permeability is intact. When AQP8-, AQP9-, AQP3- and TIP2;1-expressing oocytes were placed in a well-stirred bathing medium of low buffer capacity, NH3 permeability was evident from the acidification of the bathing medium; the effects observed with AQP1 and tip2;1 did not exceed that of native oocytes. AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1 were permeable to larger amides, while AQP1 was not. Under voltage-clamp conditions, given sufficient NH3, AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1 supported inwards currents carried by NH4+. This conductivity increased as a sigmoid function of external [NH3]: for AQP8 at a bath pH (pH(e)) of 6.5, the conductance was abolished, at pH(e) 7.4 it was half maximal and at pH(e) 7.8 it saturated. NY4+ influx was associated with oocyte swelling. In comparison, native oocytes as well as AQP1 and tip2;1-expressing oocytes showed small currents that were associated with small and even negative volume changes. We conclude that AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1, apart from being water channels, also support significant fluxes of NH3. These aquaporins could support NH4+ transport and have physiological implications for liver and kidney function.
AB - We have shown recently, in a yeast expression system, that some aquaporins are permeable to ammonia. In the present study, we expressed the mammalian aquaporins AQP8, AQQP9, AQP3, AQP1 and a plant aquaporin TIP2;1 in Xenopus oocytes to study the transport of ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) under opencircuit and voltage-clamped conditions. TIP2;1 was tested as the wild-type and in a mutated version (tip2;1) in which the water permeability is intact. When AQP8-, AQP9-, AQP3- and TIP2;1-expressing oocytes were placed in a well-stirred bathing medium of low buffer capacity, NH3 permeability was evident from the acidification of the bathing medium; the effects observed with AQP1 and tip2;1 did not exceed that of native oocytes. AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1 were permeable to larger amides, while AQP1 was not. Under voltage-clamp conditions, given sufficient NH3, AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1 supported inwards currents carried by NH4+. This conductivity increased as a sigmoid function of external [NH3]: for AQP8 at a bath pH (pH(e)) of 6.5, the conductance was abolished, at pH(e) 7.4 it was half maximal and at pH(e) 7.8 it saturated. NY4+ influx was associated with oocyte swelling. In comparison, native oocytes as well as AQP1 and tip2;1-expressing oocytes showed small currents that were associated with small and even negative volume changes. We conclude that AQP8, AQP9, AQP3, and TIP2;1, apart from being water channels, also support significant fluxes of NH3. These aquaporins could support NH4+ transport and have physiological implications for liver and kidney function.
KW - Former LIFE faculty
KW - Ammonia Ammonium Aquaporins Conduction Oocytes
U2 - 10.1007/s00424-005-1399-1
DO - 10.1007/s00424-005-1399-1
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 15988592
SN - 0031-6768
VL - 450
SP - 415
EP - 428
JO - Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology
JF - Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology
IS - 6
ER -