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Sensing, Signaling and Sorting Events in Kidney Epithelial Cell Physiology
Author(s) -
Brown Dennis,
Breton Sylvie,
Ausiello Dennis A.,
Marshansky Vladimir
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
traffic
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.677
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1600-0854
pISSN - 1398-9219
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2008.00867.x
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , biology , homeostasis , reabsorption , endocytosis , kidney , clathrin , vesicle , apical membrane , epithelial polarity , biochemistry , receptor , cell , endocrinology , membrane
The kidney regulates body fluid, ion and acid/base homeostasis through the interaction of a host of channels, transporters and pumps within specific tubule segments, specific cell types and specific plasma membrane domains. Furthermore, renal epithelial cells have adapted to function in an often unique and challenging environment that includes high medullary osmolality, acidic pHs, variable blood flow and constantly changing apical and basolateral ‘bathing’ solutions. In this review, we focus on selected protein trafficking events by which kidney epithelial cells regulate body fluid, ion and acid–base homeostasis in response to changes in physiological conditions. We discuss aquaporin 2 and G‐protein‐coupled receptors in fluid and ion balance, the vacuolar H + ‐adenosine triphosphatase (V‐ATPase) and intercalated cells in acid/base regulation and acidification events in the proximal tubule degradation pathway. Finally, in view of its direct role in vesicle trafficking that we outline in this study, we propose that the V‐ATPase itself should, under some circumstances, be considered a fourth category of vesicle ‘coat’ protein (COP), alongside clathrin, caveolin and COPs.