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Biomedical subjects

Mark Donowitz

Publications and source records attributed to Mark Donowitz.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Lysophosphatidic acid stimulates brush border Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) activity by increasing its exocytosis by an NHE3 kinase A regulatory protein-dependent mechanism.

Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 3 (NHE3) kinase A regulatory protein (E3KARP) has been implicated in cAMP- and Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition of NHE3. In the current study, a new role of E3KARP is demonstrated in the stimulation of NHE3 activity. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a mediator of the restitution phase of inflammation but has not been studied for effects on sodium absorption. LPA has no effect on NHE3 activity in opossum kidney (OK) proximal tubule cells, which lack expression of endogenous E3KARP. However, in OK cells exogenously expressing E3KARP, LPA stimulated NHE3 activity. Consistent with the stimulatory effect on NHE3 activity, LPA treatment increased the surface NHE3 amount, which occurred by accelerating exocytic trafficking (endocytic recycling) to the apical plasma membrane. These LPA effects only occurred in OK cells transfected with E3KARP. The LPA-induced increases of NHE3 activity, surface NHE3 amounts, and exocytosis were completely inhibited by pretreatment with the PI 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002. LPA stimulation of the phosphorylation of Akt was used as an assay for PI 3-kinase activity. LY294002 completely prevented the LPA-induced increase in Akt phosphorylation, which is consistent with the inhibitory effect of LY294002 on the LPA stimulation of NHE3 activity. The LPA-induced phosphorylation of Akt was the same in OK cells with and without E3KARP. These results show that LPA stimulates NHE3 in the apical surface of OK cells by a mechanism that is dependent on both E3KARP and PI 3-kinase. This is the first demonstration that rapid stimulation of NHE3 activity is dependent on an apical membrane PDZ domain protein.

Animals↗

Na(+)/H(+ ) exchanger regulatory factor 2 directs parathyroid hormone 1 receptor signalling.

The parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) is a class II G-protein-coupled receptor. PTH1R agonists include both PTH, a hormone that regulates blood calcium and phosphate, and PTH-related protein (PTHrP), a paracrine/autocrine factor that is essential for development, particularly of the skeleton. Adenylyl cyclase activation is thought to be responsible for most cellular responses to PTH and PTHrP, although many actions appear to be independent of adenylyl cyclase. Here we show that the PTH1R binds to Na(+)/H(+) exchanger regulatory factors (NHERF) 1 and 2 through a PDZ-domain interaction in vitro and in PTH target cells. NHERF2 simultaneously binds phospholipase C beta 1 and an atypical, carboxyl-terminal PDZ consensus motif, ETVM, of the PTH1R through PDZ1 and PDZ2, respectively. PTH treatment of cells that express the NHERF2 PTH1R complex markedly activates phospholipase C beta and inhibits adenylyl cyclase through stimulation of inhibitory G proteins (G(i/o) proteins). NHERF-mediated assembly of PTH1R and phospholipase C beta is a unique mechanism to regulate PTH signalling in cells and membranes of polarized cells that express NHERF, which may account for many tissue- and cell-specific actions of PTH/PTHrP and may also be relevant to signalling by many G-protein-coupled receptors.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗

Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition of Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) requires an NHE3-E3KARP-alpha-actinin-4 complex for oligomerization and endocytosis.

Two PDZ domain-containing proteins, NHERF and E3KARP are necessary for cAMP-dependent inhibition of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 3 (NHE3). In this study, we demonstrate a specific role of E3KARP, which is not duplicated by NHERF, in Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition of NHE3 activity. NHE3 activity is inhibited by elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) in PS120 fibroblasts stably expressing E3KARP but not those expressing NHERF. In addition, this Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition requires Ca(2+)-dependent association between alpha-actinin-4 and E3KARP. NHE3 is indirectly connected to alpha-actinin-4 in a protein complex through Ca(2+)-dependent interaction between alpha-actinin-4 and E3KARP, which occurs through the actin-binding domain plus spectrin repeat domain of alpha-actinin-4. Elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) results in oligomerization and endocytosis of NHE3 as well as in inhibition of NHE3 activity. Overexpression of alpha-actinin-4 potentiates the inhibitory effect of ionomycin on NHE3 activity by accelerating the oligomerization and endocytosis of NHE3. In contrast, overexpression of the actin-binding domain plus spectrin repeat domain acts as a dominant-negative mutant and prevents the inhibitory effect of ionomycin on NHE3 activity as well as the oligomerization and internalization of NHE3. From these results, we propose that elevated Ca(2+) inhibits NHE3 activity through oligomerization and endocytosis of NHE3, which occurs via formation of an NHE3-E3KARP-alpha-actinin-4 complex.

Actinin↗

The burden of selected digestive diseases in the United States.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases inflict a heavy economic burden. Although the burden is considerable, current and accessible information on the prevalence, morbidity, and cost is sparse. This study was undertaken to estimate the economic burden of GI and liver disease in the United States for use by policy makers, health care providers, and the public. METHODS: Data were extracted from a number of publicly available and proprietary national databases to determine the prevalence, direct costs, and indirect costs for 17 selected GI and liver diseases. Indirect cost calculations were purposefully very conservative. These costs were compared with National Institutes of Health (NIH) research expenditures for selected GI and liver diseases. RESULTS: The most prevalent diseases were non-food-borne gastroenteritis (135 million cases/year), food-borne illness (76 million), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD; 19 million), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS; 15 million). The disease with the highest annual direct costs in the United States was GERD ($9.3 billion), followed by gallbladder disease ($5.8 billion), colorectal cancer ($4.8 billion), and peptic ulcer disease ($3.1 billion). The estimated direct costs for these 17 diseases in 1998 dollars were $36.0 billion, with estimated indirect costs of $22.8 billion. The estimated direct costs for all digestive diseases were $85.5 billion. Total NIH research expenditures were $676 million in 2000. CONCLUSIONS: GI and liver diseases exact heavy economic and social costs in the United States. Understanding the prevalence and costs of these diseases is important to help set priorities to reduce the burden of illness.

Cost of Illness↗

Human Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 6 is found in recycling endosomes of cells, not in mitochondria.

Since the discovery of the first intracellular Na(+)/H(+) exchanger in yeast, Nhx1, multiple homologs have been cloned and characterized in plants. Together, studies in these organisms demonstrate that Nhx1 is located in the prevacuolar/vacuolar compartment of cells where it sequesters Na(+) into the vacuole, regulates intravesicular pH, and contributes to vacuolar biogenesis. In contrast, the human homolog of Nhx1, Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 6 (NHE6), has been reported to localize to mitochondria when transiently expressed as a fusion with green fluorescent protein. This result warrants reevaluation because it conflicts with predictions from phylogenetic analyses. Here we demonstrate that when epitope-tagged NHE6 is transiently expressed in cultured mammalian cells, it does not colocalize with mitochondrial markers. It also does not colocalize with markers of the lysosome, late endosome, trans-Golgi network, or Golgi cisternae. Rather, NHE6 is distributed in recycling compartments and transiently appears on the plasma membrane. These results suggest that, like its homologs in yeast and plants, NHE6 is an endosomal Na(+)/H(+) exchanger that may regulate intravesicular pH and volume and contribute to lysosomal biogenesis.

Animals↗