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Extracellular Protons Regulate Human ENaC by Modulating Na+ Self-inhibition
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Extracellular Protons Regulate Human ENaC by Modulating Na+ Self-inhibition

Daniel M Collier and Peter M Snyder
The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol.284(2), pp.792-798
01/09/2009
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M806954200
PMCID: PMC2613628
PMID: 18990692
url
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M806954200View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The epithelial Na + channel, ENaC, is exposed to a wide range of proton concentrations in the kidney, lung, and sweat duct. We, therefore, tested whether pH alters ENaC activity. In Xenopus oocytes expressing human α-, β-, and γENaC, amiloride-sensitive current was altered by protons in the physiologically relevant range (pH 8.5-6.0). Compared with pH 7.4, acidic pH increased ENaC current, whereas alkaline pH decreased current (pH 50 = 7.2). Acidic pH also increased ENaC current in H441 epithelia and in human primary airway epithelia. In contrast to human ENaC, pH did not alter rat ENaC current, indicating that there are species differences in ENaC regulation by protons. This resulted predominantly from species differences in γENaC. Maneuvers that lock ENaC in a high open-probability state (“DEG” mutation, proteolytic cleavage) abolished the effect of pH on human ENaC, indicating that protons alter ENaC current by modulating channel gating. Previous work showed that ENaC gating is regulated in part by extracellular Na + (“Na + self-inhibition”). Based on several observations, we conclude that protons regulate ENaC by altering Na + self-inhibition. First, protons reduced Na + self-inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Second, ENaC regulation by pH was abolished by removing Na + from the extracellular bathing solution. Third, mutations that alter Na + self-inhibition produced corresponding changes in ENaC regulation by pH. Together, the data support a model in which protons modulate ENaC gating by relieving Na + self-inhibition. We speculate that this may be an important mechanism to facilitate epithelial Na + transport under conditions of acidosis.
Membrane Transport, Structure, Function, and Biogenesis

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