Addition of EGF to human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells increases the rate of fluid-phase pinocytosis 6-10-fold as measured by horseradish peroxidase uptake (Haigler, H.T., J. A. McKanna, and S. Cohen. 1979. J. Cell Biol. 83:82-90). We show here that in the absence of extracellular Na+ or in the presence of amiloride the stimulation of pinocytosis by EGF is substantially reduced. Amiloride had no effect on the endocytosis of EGF itself or of transferrin, demonstrating that the receptor-mediated endocytotic pathway operated normally under conditions that blocked stimulated pinocytosis. Amiloride blocked EGF-stimulated pinocytosis in both HCO3(-)-containing and HCO3(-)-free media. The EGF-stimulated pinocytotic activity can frequently be localized to areas of the cell where membrane spreading and ruffling are taking place. These results demonstrate that (a) EGF induces a distinct amiloride-sensitive endocytotic pathway on A431 cells; (b) occupied EGF receptors do not utilize this pathway for their own entry; (c) endocytosis of occupied EGF receptors is not in itself sufficient to stimulate pinocytosis.

Slow oscillatory activity (<1 Hz) is observed in vivo in the cortex during slow-wave sleep or under anesthesia and in vitro when the bath solution is chosen to more closely mimic cerebrospinal fluid. Here we present a biophysical network model for the slow oscillations observed in vitro that reproduces the single neuron behaviors and collective network firing patterns in control as well as under pharmacological manipulations. The membrane potential of a neuron oscillates slowly (at <1 Hz) between a down state and an up state; the up state is maintained by strong recurrent excitation balanced by inhibition, and the transition to the down state is due to a slow adaptation current (Na(+)-dependent K(+) current). Consistent with in vivo data, the input resistance of a model neuron, on average, is the largest at the end of the down state and the smallest during the initial phase of the up state. An activity wave is initiated by spontaneous spike discharges in a minority of neurons, and propagates across the network at a speed of 3-8 mm/s in control and 20-50 mm/s with inhibition block. Our work suggests that long-range excitatory patchy connections contribute significantly to this wave propagation. Finally, we show with this model that various known physiological effects of neuromodulation can switch the network to tonic firing, thus simulating a transition to the waking state.

Glutamate transport across the plasma membrane of neurons and glia is powered by the transmembrane electrochemical gradients for sodium, potassium, and pH, but there is controversy over the number of Na+ cotransported with glutamate. The stoichiometry of glutamate transporters is important because it determines a lower limit to the extracellular glutamate concentration, [glu]o, in both normal and pathological conditions. We used whole-cell clamping to study the stoichiometry of the glial transporter GLT-1, the most abundant glutamate transporter in the brain, expressed under control of the Tet-On system in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line selected for low endogenous glutamate transport. After the induction of GLT-1 expression with doxycycline, glutamate evoked a Na+-dependent inward current with the voltage dependence and pharmacology of GLT-1 and acidified the cell cytoplasm. Raising [K+]o around cells clamped with electrodes containing sodium and glutamate evoked an outward reversed uptake current. These responses were reduced by the specific GLT-1 blocker dihydrokainate (DHK). DHK evoked an outward current with NO3-, but not with Cl-, as the main intracellular anion, suggesting that the anion conductance of the transporter is active even without external glutamate but generates little current in the absence of highly permeable anions like NO3-. Measuring the reversal potential of the transporter current in various ionic conditions suggested that the transport of one glutamate anion is coupled to the cotransport of three Na+ and one H+ and to the countertransport of one K+. This suggests that in ischemia, when [K+]o rises to 60 mM, the reversal of glutamate transporters will raise [glu]o to >50 microM.

Flux of substrate and charge mediated by three cloned excitatory amino acid transporters widely expressed in human brain were studied in voltage-clamped Xenopus oocytes. Superfusion of L-glutamate or D-aspartate resulted in currents due in part to electrogenic Na+ cotransport, which contributed 1 net positive charge per transport cycle. A significant additional component of the currents was due to activation of a reversible anion flux that was not thermodynamically coupled to amino acid transport. The selectivity sequence of this ligand-activated conductance was NO3->> 1->> Br->> Cl->> F-. The results suggest that these proteins mediate both transporter- and channel-like modes of permeation, providing a potential mechanism for dampening cell excitability, in addition to removal of transmitter.

This review addresses the localized regulation of voltage-gated ion channels by phosphorylation. Comprehensive data on channel regulation by associated protein kinases, phosphatases, and related regulatory proteins are mainly available for voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, which form the main focus of this review. Other voltage-gated ion channels and especially Kv7.1-3 (KCNQ1-3), the large- and small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels BK and SK2, and the inward-rectifying K+ channels Kir3 have also been studied to quite some extent and will be included. Regulation of the L-type Ca2+ channel Cav1.2 by PKA has been studied most thoroughly as it underlies the cardiac fight-or-flight response. A prototypical Cav1.2 signaling complex containing the beta2 adrenergic receptor, the heterotrimeric G protein Gs, adenylyl cyclase, and PKA has been identified that supports highly localized via cAMP. The type 2 ryanodine receptor as well as AMPA- and NMDA-type glutamate receptors are in close proximity to Cav1.2 in cardiomyocytes and neurons, respectively, yet independently anchor PKA, CaMKII, and the serine/threonine phosphatases PP1, PP2A, and PP2B, as is discussed in detail. Descriptions of the structural and functional aspects of the interactions of PKA, PKC, CaMKII, Src, and various phosphatases with Cav1.2 will include comparisons with analogous interactions with other channels such as the ryanodine receptor or ionotropic glutamate receptors. Regulation of Na+ and K+ channel phosphorylation complexes will be discussed in separate papers. This review is thus intended for readers interested in ion channel regulation or in localization of kinases, phosphatases, and their upstream regulators.

P2X receptors are trimeric ATP-activated ion channels permeable to Na+, K+ and Ca2+. The seven P2X receptor subtypes are implicated in physiological processes that include modulation of synaptic transmission, contraction of smooth muscle, secretion of chemical transmitters and regulation of immune responses. Despite the importance of P2X receptors in cellular physiology, the three-dimensional composition of the ATP-binding site, the structural mechanism of ATP-dependent ion channel gating and the architecture of the open ion channel pore are unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of the zebrafish P2X4 receptor in complex with ATP and a new structure of the apo receptor. The agonist-bound structure reveals a previously unseen ATP-binding motif and an open ion channel pore. ATP binding induces cleft closure of the nucleotide-binding pocket, flexing of the lower body β-sheet and a radial expansion of the extracellular vestibule. The structural widening of the extracellular vestibule is directly coupled to the opening of the ion channel pore by way of an iris-like expansion of the transmembrane helices. The structural delineation of the ATP-binding site and the ion channel pore, together with the conformational changes associated with ion channel gating, will stimulate development of new pharmacological agents.

There is great interest in discovering new targets for pain therapy since current methods of analgesia are often only partially successful. Although protein kinase C (PKC) enhances nociceptor function, it is not known which PKC isozymes contribute. Here, we show that epinephrine-induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia and acetic acid-associated hyperalgesia are markedly attenuated in PKCepsilon mutant mice, but baseline nociceptive thresholds are normal. Moreover, epinephrine-, carrageenan-, and nerve growth factor- (NGF-) induced hyperalgesia in normal rats, and epinephrine-induced enhancement of tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ current (TTX-R I(Na)) in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, are inhibited by a PKCepsilon-selective inhibitor peptide. Our findings indicate that PKCepsilon regulates nociceptor function and suggest that PKCepsilon inhibitors could prove useful in the treatment of pain.

The unidirectional influxes of Na, K, and Cl into isolated strips of rabbit ileum are comprised of movements across the mucosal membrane of the epithelial cells and ionic diffusion into an extracellular shunt pathway. A large fraction of the Na influx across the mucosal membrane alone is inhibited by Li, suggesting the participation of a carrier mechanism in the influx process. The partial ionic shunt conductances of Na, K, and Cl account for at least 82% of the total tissue conductance. The calculated shunt permeabilities (P) are (in centimeters per hour) P(K) = 0.040, P(Na) = 0.035, and P(Cl) = 0.019, so that P(K):P(Na):P(Cl) = 1.14:1.00:0.55. Diffusion potentials across the tissue resulting from isotonic replacement of NaCl in the mucosal solution with mannitol or KCl are described by the Goldman constant-field equation together with the above permeabilities of the shunt pathway. These observations are not consistent with permeation through a fixed-charge pore but can be explained by a model featuring constant ionic partition into a neutral-polar pore that traverses the tight junction. Such a pore may be lined with either fixed dipoles or fixed dipolar ions oriented such that electronegative groups influence the permselective properties of the diffusion pathway. The essential feature of both models is that electroneutrality is maintained by means of fixed membrane components and does not depend upon the presence of mobile counterions.

Impulsive acts and decisions are a part of everyday normal behavior. However, in its pathological forms, impulsivity can be a debilitating disorder often associated with a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article reviews recent progress in our understanding of the neurobiology of impulsivity using examples from recent investigations in experimental animals. Evidence is reviewed from several well-established paradigms with putative utility in assessing distinct forms of impulsive behavior in rodents, including the 5-choice serial reaction time (5CSRT) task and the delay discounting paradigm. We discuss, in particular, recent psychopharmacological and in-vivo neurochemical data in task-performing rats showing functional heterogeneity of the forebrain dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), serotonin (5-HT) and acetylcholine (ACh) systems and identify how these systems normally function to facilitate flexible goal-directed behavior in situations that tax basic attentional functions and inhibitory response control mechanisms. We also discuss future research needs in terms of understanding the functional diversity of different sub-regions of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and how these systems normally interact with the striatum and main nuclei of origin of DA and NA neurons. Finally, we argue in line with others that animal paradigms are unlikely to model all aspects of complex psychiatric conditions such as ADHD but components of such syndromes may be amenable to investigation using sophisticated animal models based on highly-defined psychiatric endophenotypes.

Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) are expressed in the apical membrane of high resistance Na(+) transporting epithelia and have a key role in regulating extracellular fluid volume and the volume of airway surface liquids. Maturation and activation of ENaC subunits involves furin-dependent cleavage of the ectodomain at two sites in the alpha subunit and at a single site within the gamma subunit. We now report that the serine protease prostasin further activates ENaC by inducing cleavage of the gamma subunit at a site distal to the furin cleavage site. Dual cleavage of the gamma subunit is predicted to release a 43-amino acid peptide. Channels with a gamma subunit lacking this 43-residue tract have increased activity due to a high open probability. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the fragment cleaved from the gamma subunit is a reversible inhibitor of endogenous ENaCs in mouse cortical-collecting duct cells and in primary cultures of human airway epithelial cells. Our results suggest that multiple proteases cleave ENaC gamma subunits to fully activate the channel.

C-type dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons can generate tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) sodium-dependent action potentials. However, multiple sodium channels are expressed in these neurons, and the molecular identity of the TTX-R sodium channels that contribute to action potential production in these neurons has not been established. In this study, we used current-clamp recordings to compare action potential electrogenesis in Na(v)1.8 (+/+) and (-/-) small DRG neurons maintained for 2-8 h in vitro to examine the role of sodium channel Na(v)1.8 (alpha-SNS) in action potential electrogenesis. Although there was no significant difference in resting membrane potential, input resistance, current threshold, or voltage threshold in Na(v)1.8 (+/+) and (-/-) DRG neurons, there were significant differences in action potential electrogenesis. Most Na(v)1.8 (+/+) neurons generate all-or-none action potentials, whereas most of Na(v)1.8 (-/-) neurons produce smaller graded responses. The peak of the response was significantly reduced in Na(v)1.8 (-/-) neurons [31.5 +/- 2.2 (SE) mV] compared with Na(v)1.8 (+/+) neurons (55.0 +/- 4.3 mV). The maximum rise slope was 84.7 +/- 11.2 mV/ms in Na(v)1.8 (+/+) neurons, significantly faster than in Na(v)1.8 (-/-) neurons where it was 47.2 +/- 1.3 mV/ms. Calculations based on the action potential overshoot in Na(v)1.8 (+/+) and (-/-) neurons, following blockade of Ca(2+) currents, indicate that Na(v)1.8 contributes a substantial fraction (80-90%) of the inward membrane current that flows during the rising phase of the action potential. We found that fast TTX-sensitive Na(+) channels can produce all-or-none action potentials in some Na(v)1.8 (-/-) neurons but, presumably as a result of steady-state inactivation of these channels, electrogenesis in Na(v)1.8 (-/-) neurons is more sensitive to membrane depolarization than in Na(v)1.8 (+/+) neurons, and, in the absence of Na(v)1.8, is attenuated with even modest depolarization. These observations indicate that Na(v)1.8 contributes substantially to action potential electrogenesis in C-type DRG neurons.

Activation of tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channels contributes to action potential electrogenesis in neurons. Antisense oligonucleotide studies directed against Na(v)1.8 have shown that this channel contributes to experimental inflammatory and neuropathic pain. We report here the discovery of A-803467, a sodium channel blocker that potently blocks tetrodotoxin-resistant currents (IC(50) = 140 nM) and the generation of spontaneous and electrically evoked action potentials in vitro in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. In recombinant cell lines, A-803467 potently blocked human Na(v)1.8 (IC(50) = 8 nM) and was >100-fold selective vs. human Na(v)1.2, Na(v)1.3, Na(v)1.5, and Na(v)1.7 (IC(50) values>>or=1 microM). A-803467 (20 mg/kg, i.v.) blocked mechanically evoked firing of wide dynamic range neurons in the rat spinal dorsal horn. A-803467 also dose-dependently reduced mechanical allodynia in a variety of rat pain models including: spinal nerve ligation (ED(50) = 47 mg/kg, i.p.), sciatic nerve injury (ED(50) = 85 mg/kg, i.p.), capsaicin-induced secondary mechanical allodynia (ED(50) approximately 100 mg/kg, i.p.), and thermal hyperalgesia after intraplantar complete Freund's adjuvant injection (ED(50) = 41 mg/kg, i.p.). A-803467 was inactive against formalin-induced nociception and acute thermal and postoperative pain. These data demonstrate that acute and selective pharmacological blockade of Na(v)1.8 sodium channels in vivo produces significant antinociception in animal models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

The number of known glucose transporters has expanded considerably over the past 2 years. At least three, and up to six, Na+-dependent glucose transporters (SGLT1-SGLT6; gene name SLC5A) have been identified. Similarly, thirteen members of the family of facilitative sugar transporters (GLUT1-GLUT12 and HMIT; gene name SLC2A) are now recognised. These various transporters exhibit different substrate specificities, kinetic properties and tissue expression profiles. The number of distinct gene products, together with the presence of several different transporters in certain tissues and cells (for example, GLUT1, GLUT4, GLUT5, GLUT8, GLUT12 and HMIT in white adipose tissue), indicates that glucose delivery into cells is a process of considerable complexity.

Mutations in the fibroblast growth factor 23 gene, FGF23, cause autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets (ADHR). The gene product, FGF-23, is produced by tumors from patients with oncogenic osteomalacia (OOM), circulates at increased levels in most patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and is phosphaturic when injected into rats or mice, suggesting involvement in the regulation of phosphate (Pi) homeostasis. To better define the precise role of FGF-23 in maintaining Pi balance and bone mineralization, we generated transgenic mice that express wild-type human FGF-23, under the control of the alpha1(I) collagen promoter, in cells of the osteoblastic lineage. At 8 wk of age, transgenic mice were smaller (body weight = 17.5 +/- 0.57 vs. 24.3 +/- 0.37 g), exhibited decreased serum Pi concentrations (1.91 +/- 0.27 vs. 2.75 +/- 0.22 mmol/liter) and increased urinary Pi excretion when compared with wild-type littermates. The serum concentrations of human FGF-23 (undetectable in wild-type mice) was markedly elevated in transgenic mice (>7800 reference units/ml). Serum PTH levels were increased in transgenic mice (231 +/- 62 vs. 139 +/- 44 pg/ml), whereas differences in calcium and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were not apparent. Expression of Npt2a, the major renal Na(+)/Pi cotransporter, as well as Npt1 and Npt2c mRNAs, was significantly decreased in the kidneys of transgenic mice. Histology of tibiae displayed a disorganized and widened growth plate and peripheral quantitative computerized tomography analysis revealed reduced bone mineral density in transgenic mice. The data indicate that FGF-23 induces phenotypic changes in mice resembling those of patients with ADHR, OOM, and XLH and that FGF-23 is an important determinant of Pi homeostasis and bone mineralization.

The design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of the novel carbocycles as transition-state-based inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase (NA) are described. The double bond position in the carbocyclic analogues plays an important role in NA inhibition as demonstrated by the antiviral activity of 8 (IC50 = 6.3 microM) vs 9 (IC50>> 200 microM). Structure-activity studies of a series of carbocyclic analogues 6a-i identified the 3-pentyloxy moiety as an apparent optimal group at the C3 position with an IC50 value of 1 nM for NA inhibition. The X-ray crystallographic structure of 6h bound to NA revealed the presence of a large hydrophobic pocket in the region corresponding to the glycerol subsite of sialic acid. The high antiviral potency observed for 6h appears to be attributed to a highly favorable hydrophobic interaction in this pocket. The practical synthesis of 6 starting from (-)-quinic acid is also described.

Relapse is a central problem in smoking treatment. Data collected at the time of relapse episodes indicate that stress and negative affect (NA) promote relapse, but retrospective data are potentially biased. The authors performed a prospective analysis of stress and NA prior to initial lapses in smokers (N = 215). Day-to-day changes in stress (daily negative and positive events and Perceived Stress Scale scores) and NA (multiple momentary affect ratings) did not predict lapse risk on the following day. However, within the lapse day itself, NA was already significantly increasing hours before lapses, but only for episodes attributed to stress or bad mood. Thus, rapid increases in NA, but not slow-changing shifts in stress and NA, were associated with relapse.

The ability of an epithelium to prevent permeation of noxious agents has not been well studied except in the gastrointestinal tract where exclusion of H+ has clinical significance. This article reviews the permeation routes across epithelia both as elucidated in the extensive electrophysiological work done in recent years and as demonstrated in morphological studies. We thus place concepts about gastrointestinal barrier function into the framework of transport physiology. Both the permeability and permselectivity of epithelial barriers are reviewed here. The effects of physical agents (pressure and electric current), polyvalent cations, organic compounds with both specific (channel blocking) and nonspecific (detergent) membrane properties, cyclic nucleotides, microfilament-active agents, and particularly H+ on both the barrier function (permeability and permselectivity) and transport function of epithelia are considered. Based on the available data, an important role for active Na+ transport in the maintenance of the epithelial barrier function can be postulated.

The relative permeability of sodium channels to eight metal cations is studied in myelinated nerve fibers. Ionic currents under voltage-clamp conditions are measured in Na-free solutions containing the test ion. Measured reversal potentials and the Goldman equation are used to calculate the permeability sequence: Na(+) approximately Li(+)>> Tl(+)>> K(+). The ratio P(K)/P(Na) is 1/12. The permeabilities to Rb(+), Cs(+), Ca(++), and Mg(++) are too small to measure. The permeability ratios agree with observations on the squid giant axon and show that the reversal potential E(Na) differs significantly from the Nernst potential for Na(+) in normal axons. Opening and closing rates for sodium channels are relatively insensitive to the ionic composition of the bathing medium, implying that gating is a structural property of the channel rather than a result of the movement or accumulation of particular ions around the channel. A previously proposed pore model of the channel accommodates the permeant metal cations in a partly hydrated form. The observed sequence of permeabilities follows the order expected for binding to a high field strength anion in Eisenman's theory of ion exchange equilibria.

Influenza viruses encoding hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) glycoproteins with deletions in one or both cytoplasmic tails (HAt- or NAt-) have a reduced association with detergent-insoluble glycolipids (DIGs). Mutations which eliminated various combinations of the three palmitoylation sites in HA exhibited reduced amounts of DIG-associated HA in virus-infected cells. The influenza virus matrix (M(1)) protein was also found to be associated with DIGs, but this association was decreased in cells infected with HAt- or NAt- virus. Regardless of the amount of DIG-associated protein, the HA and NA glycoproteins were targeted primarily to the apical surface of virus-infected, polarized cells. The uncoupling of DIG association and apical transport was augmented by the observation that the influenza A virus M(2) protein as well as the influenza C virus HA-esterase-fusion glycoprotein were not associated with DIGs but were apically targeted. The reduced DIG association of HAt- and NAt- is an intrinsic property of the glycoproteins, as similar reductions in DIG association were observed when the proteins were expressed from cDNA. Examination of purified virions indicated reduced amounts of DIG-associated lipids in the envelope of HAt- and NAt- viruses. The data indicate that deletion of both the HA and NA cytoplasmic tails results in reduced DIG association and changes in both virus polypeptide and lipid composition.

The role of ascending noradrenergic (NA) and dopaminergic (DA) systems in intravenous self-administration of cocaine in rats was investigated by examining the effects of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of these systems on responding for the drug on a FR-1 schedule of reinforcement. Lesions of the dorsal and ventral NA bundles that reduced hippocampal-cortical NA by 96% and hypothalamic NA by 72% failed to have any effects on responding for cocaine. Lesions of the nucleus accumbens that reduced the DA content of this nucleus by 90% resulted in a significant and long-lasting (15 days) reduction in self-administration of cocaine. Apomorphine self-administration was not affected in the same animals. Identical lesions of the n accumbens had only transient (2-3 days) effects on food-reinforced operant responding, suggesting that the prolonged disruption of cocaine self-administration was not the result of motor deficits. The results are discussed with reference to the possibility that DA terminals in the n accumbens may mediate some of the positive reinforcing properties of cocaine.

The endothelium controls vascular tone not only by releasing nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin but also by other pathways causing hyperpolarization of the underlying smooth muscle cells. This characteristic was at the origin of the denomination endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). We know now that this acronym includes different mechanisms. In general, EDHF-mediated responses involve an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration, the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels of small and intermediate conductance and the hyperpolarization of the endothelial cells. This results in an endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization of the smooth muscle cells, which can be evoked by direct electrical coupling through myo-endothelial junctions and/or the accumulation of potassium ions in the intercellular space. Potassium ions hyperpolarize the smooth muscle cells by activating inward rectifying potassium channels and/or Na+/K(+)-ATPase. In some blood vessels, including large and small coronary arteries, the endothelium releases arachidonic acid metabolites derived from cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. The epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EET) generated are not only intracellular messengers but also can diffuse and hyperpolarize the smooth muscle cells by activating large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels. Additionally, the endothelium can produce other factors such as lipoxygenases derivatives or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These different mechanisms are not necessarily exclusive and can occur simultaneously.

The production of several virulence factors in Vibrio cholerae O1, including cholera toxin and the pilus colonization factor TCP (toxin-coregulated pilus), is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. To specifically identify membrane proteins involved in these signal transduction events, we examined a transposon library of V. cholerae generated by Tnbla mutagenesis for cells that produce TCP when grown under various nonpermissive conditions. To select for TCP-producing cells we used the recently described bacteriophage CTX phi-Kan, which uses TCP as its receptor and carries a gene encoding resistance to kanamycin. Among the isolated mutants was a transposon insertion in a gene homologous to nqrB from Vibrio alginolyticus, which encodes a subunit of a Na(+)-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, and tcpI, encoding a chemo-receptor previously implicated in the negative regulation of TCP production. A third transposon mutant had an insertion in tcpP, which is in an operon with tcpH, a known positive regulator of TCP production. However, TcpP was shown to be essential for TCP production in V. cholerae, as a tcpP-deletion strain was deficient in pili production. The amino-terminal region of TcpP shows sequence homology to the DNA-binding domains of several regulatory proteins, including ToxR from V. cholerae and PsaE from Yersinia pestis. Like ToxR, TcpP activates transcription of the toxT gene, an essential activator of tcp operon transcription. Furthermore, TcpH, with its large periplasmic domain and inner membrane anchor, has a structure similar to that of ToxS and was shown to enhance the activity of TcpP. We propose that TcpP/TcpH constitute a pair of regulatory proteins functionally similar to ToxR/ToxS and PsaE/PsaF that are required for toxT transcription in V. cholerae.

The relative permeability of endplate channels to many organic cations was determined by reversal-potential criteria. Endplate currents induced by iontophoretic "puffs" of acetylcholine were studied by a Vaseline gap, voltage clamp method in cut muscle fibers. Reversal potential changes were measured as the NaCl of the bathing medium was replaced by salts of organic cations, and permeability ratios relative to Na+ ions were calculated from the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation. 40 small monovalent organic cations had permeability ratios larger than 0.1. The most permeant including NH4+, hydroxylamine, hydrazine, methylamine, guanidine, and several relatives of guanidine had permeability ratios in the range 1.3--2.0. However, even cations such as imidazole, choline, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, triethylamine, and glycine methylester were appreciably permeant with permeability ratios of 0.13--0.95. Four compounds with two charged nitrogen groups were also permeant. Molecular models of the permeant ions suggest that the smallest cross-section of the open pore must be at least as large as a square, 6.5 A x 6.5 A. Specific chemical factors seem to be less important than access or friction in determining the ionic selectivity of the endplate channel.

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII) is an autosomal dominant disorder of hyperkalemia and hypertension. Mutations in two members of the WNK kinase family, WNK1 and WNK4, cause the disease. WNK1 mutations are believed to increase WNK1 expression; the effect of WNK4 mutations remains unknown. The clinical phenotype of PHAII is opposite to Gitelman syndrome, a disease caused by dysfunction of the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter. We tested the hypothesis that WNK kinases regulate the mammalian thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC). Mouse WNK4 was cloned and expressed in Xenopus oocytes with or without NCC. Coexpression with WNK4 suppressed NCC activity by more than 85%. This effect did not result from defects in NCC synthesis or processing, but was associated with an 85% reduction in NCC abundance at the plasma membrane. Unlike WNK4, WNK1 did not affect NCC activity directly. WNK1, however, completely prevented WNK4 inhibition of NCC. Some WNK4 mutations that cause PHAII retained NCC-inhibiting activity, but the Q562E WNK4 demonstrated diminished activity, suggesting that some PHAII mutations lead to loss of NCC inhibition. Gain-of-function WNK1 mutations would be expected to inhibit WNK4 activity, thereby activating NCC, contributing to the PHAII phenotype. Together, these results identify WNK kinases as a previously unrecognized sodium regulatory pathway of the distal nephron. This pathway likely contributes to normal and pathological blood pressure homeostasis.