Dr. Shi's career goals for the award period are to develop scientific independence from her mentor and broaden her experimental skills: developing proficiency in conducting behavioral assays in C. elegans and additional technical expertise in electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. After 2 to 3 years of mentored research training, Dr. Shi plans to make the transition to a tenure-track faculty position. Her long-term career goals are to become a fully independent academic investigator in the broad fields of molecular biology and physiology, performing research that could translate research findings into clinical studies, with a particular focus on mechanosensation mediated by ion channels of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) /degenerin family. ENaC is expressed at the apical membrane of many epithelial tissues throughout the body. In the aldosterone- sensitive distal nephron, ENaC mediates the rate-limiting step of Na+ absorption and thus is critical for maintaining salt-volume homeostasis and controlling blood pressure. Renal tubular epithelial cells are subjected to variable tubular volumes and flow rates, leading to changes in shear stress and hydrostatic pressure that affect a variety of cellular transport processes, including th absorption of filtered Na+. ENaC activity increases in response to increases in shear stress. Other members of the ENaC/degenerin family also encode mechanosensitive ion channels, including channels found in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). We found that, similar to ENaCs, specific C. elegans channels (comprised of MEC-4 and MEC-10) are activated by shear stress in a heterologous expression system. Our previous studies have identified sites within ENaC subunits where mutations affect the ability of the channel to respond to shear stress. Based on these findings and on the resolved structures of a related member of the ENaC/degenerin family, we hypothesize that there are discrete conformational changes within the extracellular region of MEC-4/MEC-10 channels that are transmitted into the channel's pore during channel opening in response mechanical forces. Our proposed studies will utilize a heterologous expression system to identify sites/regions within MEC-4 and MEC-10 that are required for the channel to respond properly to shear stress. Selected variants will be expressed in C. elegans in order to explore how these mutants affect mechanosensing in worms. Successful completion of proposed studies in this application will advance our understanding of how mechanical forces regulate ENaC/degenerin ion channels.
Epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) reabsorb filtered sodium in the distal nephron of the kidney, a key element in determining extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure. ENaCs are members of an ion channel family that includes degenerins that are expressed in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Mechanical forces activate both ENaCs and degenerins. However, mechanisms by which a mechanical force signals a channel to transition from a closed to an open state are poorly understood. Proposed studies will use a simple model system to define mechanisms by which degenerins are activated by mechanical forces, and test whether these findings are relevant in degenerin-mediated mechanosensing in worms. Successful completion of the proposed studies will provide important clues regarding how ENaC is regulated in kidney tubules, where these channels are exposed to varying mechanical forces.
| Shi, Shujie; Mutchler, Stephanie M; Blobner, Brandon M et al. (2018) Pore-lining residues of MEC-4 and MEC-10 channel subunits tune the Caenorhabditis elegans degenerin channel's response to shear stress. J Biol Chem 293:10757-10766 |
| Kashlan, Ossama B; Kinlough, Carol L; Myerburg, Michael M et al. (2018) N-linked glycans are required on epithelial Na+ channel subunits for maturation and surface expression. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 314:F483-F492 |
| Shi, Shujie; Carattino, Marcelo D (2017) Expression and Analysis of Flow-regulated Ion Channels in Xenopus Oocytes. Bio Protoc 7: |
| Shi, Shujie; Buck, Teresa M; Kinlough, Carol L et al. (2017) Regulation of the epithelial Na+ channel by paraoxonase-2. J Biol Chem 292:15927-15938 |
| Shi, Shujie; Luke, Cliff J; Miedel, Mark T et al. (2016) Activation of the Caenorhabditis elegans Degenerin Channel by Shear Stress Requires the MEC-10 Subunit. J Biol Chem 291:14012-22 |
