Osmolality of the mammalian kidney medulla is very high. The high osmolality provides driving force for water reabsorption and urinary concentration, a key function of the kidney for maintaining proper body fluid volume and blood pressure. Salt and urea are major solutes in the renal medullary interstitium. Unfortunately, high salt (hypertonicity) causes DNA damage and high urea causes cell death. For the successful function of the kidney, the renal medullary cells have to overcome the deleterious effects of hyperosmolality. The cells adapt to the hypertonicity by accumulating compatible osmolytes. We have shown that TonEBP play a central role in the compatible osmolyte accumulation via stimulating genes whose products either actively transport or synthesize compatible osmolytes. In addition, TonEBP stimulates the vasopressin regulated urea transporters that play a critical role in the counter current recycling of urea in the renal medulla. Our data demonstrate that TonEBP also stimulates a heat shock protein 70 that functions to protect the cells from the deadly stress of high urea. Thus, TonEBP controls a network of genes that is essential for the function and protection of the renal medulla. We have shown that nuclear localization is the major site of TnEBP regulation under physiological conditions of water diuresis and antidiuresis. We hypothesize that there are signaling pathways that control nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of TonEBP in response to changes in ambient tonicity.
Aim 1 is to define domains of TonEBP responsible for tonicity-responsive changes in nuclear localization. Cultured cells will be used in combination with expression of mutated TonEBPs. We expect to define amino acids critical for nuclear import, nuclear export, and modulation of the two opposing activities. These domains will provide key reagents to uncover the tonicity signaling pathways. Phosphorylation of TonEBP temporally correlates with both nuclear important and export.
Aim 2 is to define amino acid residues whose phosphorylation affects nuclear localization of TonEBP.
Aim I is to uncover the role of protein-protein interaction in nuclear localization. We will investigate the role of TnEBP dimer formation by studying defective mutants. Other components of the TonEBP complex will be identified and their role will also be investigated. These studies are likely to uncover a new paradigm of signal transduction unique to the kidney medulla.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DK061677-01
Application #
6465081
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-5 (01))
Program Officer
Ketchum, Christian J
Project Start
2002-09-01
Project End
2003-08-31
Budget Start
2002-09-01
Budget End
2003-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$362,357
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
045911138
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
Halterman, Julia A; Kwon, H Moo; Wamhoff, Brian R (2012) Tonicity-independent regulation of the osmosensitive transcription factor TonEBP (NFAT5). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 302:C1-8
Halterman, Julia A; Kwon, H Moo; Zargham, Ramin et al. (2011) Nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 31:2287-96
Lee, Sang Do; Choi, Soo Youn; Kwon, H Moo (2011) Distinct cellular pathways for resistance to urea stress and hypertonic stress. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 300:C692-6
Lee, Sang Do; Choi, Soo Youn; Lim, Sun Woo et al. (2011) TonEBP stimulates multiple cellular pathways for adaptation to hypertonic stress: organic osmolyte-dependent and -independent pathways. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 300:F707-15
Kwon, Min Seong; Lim, Sun Woo; Kwon, H Moo (2009) Hypertonic stress in the kidney: a necessary evil. Physiology (Bethesda) 24:186-91
Kwon, H Moo (2008) Protein misfolding in hypertonic stress: new insights into an old idea. Focus on ""genome-wide RNAi screen and in vivo protein aggregation reporters identify degradation of damaged protein as an essential hypertonic stress response"". Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 295:C1474-5
Kwon, Min Seong; Lee, Sang Do; Kim, Jeong-Ah et al. (2008) Novel nuclear localization signal regulated by ambient tonicity in vertebrates. J Biol Chem 283:22400-9
Jeon, Un Sil; Han, Ki-Hwan; Park, Soo-Hyun et al. (2007) Downregulation of renal TonEBP in hypokalemic rats. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 293:F408-15
Kim, Jeong Ah; Jeon, Un Sil; Kwon, Min Seong et al. (2007) Transcriptional activator TonE-binding protein in cellular protection and differentiation. Methods Enzymol 428:253-67
Lim, Sun Woo; Ahn, Kyung Ohk; Sheen, Mee Rie et al. (2007) Downregulation of renal sodium transporters and tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein by long-term treatment with cyclosporin A. J Am Soc Nephrol 18:421-9

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