Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We and others have recently shown that angiotensin II can activate the sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) through a WNK4-SPAK-dependent pathway. Because WNK4 was previously shown to be a negative regulator of NCC, it has been postulated that angiotensin II converts WNK4 to a positive regulator. Here, we ask whether aldosterone requires angiotensin II to activate NCC and if their effects are additive. To do so, we infused vehicle or aldosterone in adrenalectomized rats that also received the angiotensin receptor blocker losartan. In the presence of losartan, aldosterone was still capable of increasing total and phosphorylated NCC twofold to threefold. The kinases WNK4 and SPAK also increased with aldosterone and losartan. A dose-dependent relationship between aldosterone and NCC, SPAK, and WNK4 was identified, suggesting that these are aldosterone-sensitive proteins. As more functional evidence of increased NCC activity, we showed that rats receiving aldosterone and losartan had a significantly greater natriuretic response to hydrochlorothiazide than rats receiving losartan only. To study whether angiotensin II could have an additive effect, rats receiving aldosterone with losartan were compared with rats receiving aldosterone only. Rats receiving aldosterone only retained more sodium and had twofold to fourfold increase in phosphorylated NCC. Together, our results demonstrate that aldosterone does not require angiotensin II to activate NCC and that WNK4 appears to act as a positive regulator in this pathway. The additive effect of angiotensin II may favor electroneutral sodium reabsorption during hypovolemia and may contribute to hypertension in diseases with an activated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
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PMID:Aldosterone does not require angiotensin II to activate NCC through a WNK4-SPAK-dependent pathway. 2254 42

This article reviews the current understanding of the mechanisms of calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension. Already early after the introduction of cyclosporine in the 1980s, vasoconstriction, sympathetic excitation and sodium retention by the kidney had been shown to play a role in this form of hypertension. The vasoconstrictive effects of calcineurin inhibitors are related to interference with the balance of vasoactive substances, including endothelin and nitric oxide. Until recently, the renal site of the sodium-retaining effect of calcineurin inhibitors was unknown. We and others have shown that calcineurin inhibitors increase the activity of the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter through an effect on the kinases WNK and SPAK. Here, we review the pertinent literature on the hypertensinogenic effects of calcineurin inhibitors, including neural, vascular and renal effects, and we propose an integrated model of calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension.
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PMID:Pathogenesis of calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension. 2257 29

Changes in the osmolality of body fluids pose a serious danger to cells and living organisms, which have developed cellular systems to sense and respond to osmotic stress and to maintain homoeostasis of body fluid. However, these processes are incompletely understood in mammals. Here we show that apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 3 (ASK3) is predominantly expressed in the kidney and alters its kinase activity bidirectionally in response to osmotic stress. We further demonstrate that ASK3 interacts with WNK1, mutation in which causes an inherited form of hypertension in humans. Knockdown of Ask3 by short interfering RNA enhances the activation of the WNK1-SPAK/OSR1 signalling pathway. Moreover, Ask3 knockout mice exhibit a hypertensive phenotype, in addition to hyperactivation of SPAK/OSR1 in renal tubules. Our results suggest that ASK3 is a unique bidirectional responder to osmotic stress and that it has a role in the control of blood pressure as an upstream suppressor of the WNK1-SPAK/OSR1 signalling pathway.
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PMID:ASK3 responds to osmotic stress and regulates blood pressure by suppressing WNK1-SPAK/OSR1 signaling in the kidney. 2325 Apr 15

Over the past 15 years protein kinases have become the pharmaceutical industry's most important class of drug target in the field of cancer. Some 20 drugs that target kinases have been approved for clinical use over the past decade, and hundreds more are undergoing clinical trials. However, the recent approval of the first protein kinase inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, coupled with an enhanced understanding of the signaling networks that control the immune system, suggests that there will be a surge of interest in this area over the next 10 years. In this connection, we discuss opportunities for targeting protein kinases in the MyD88 signaling network for the development of drugs to treat chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Activating mutations in protein kinases underlie many other diseases and conditions, and we also discuss why the protein kinases SPAK/OSR1 and LRRK2 have recently become interesting targets for the treatment of hypertension and Parkinson's disease, respectively, and the progress that has been made in developing LRRK2 inhibitors. Finally we suggest that more focus on the identification of inhibitors of kinase activation, rather than kinase activity, may pay dividends in identifying exquisitely specific inhibitors of signal transduction cascades, and we also highlight "pseudo-kinases" as an attractive and unexplored area for drug development that merits much more attention in the years to come.
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PMID:Kinase drug discovery--what's next in the field? 2327 52

WNK1 [with no lysine (K)-1] is a 250-kDa serine/threonine protein kinase involved in the maintenance of cellular salt levels and is directly linked to a hereditary form of hypertension. Here, we report the solution NMR structure of the autoinhibitory domain of WNK1 (WNK1-AI), a small regulatory subunit that lies immediately C-terminal of the kinase domain. We show that this domain is a homolog of the RFXV-binding PASK/FRAY homology 2 (PF2) domain found in OSR (oxidative stress responsive) and SPAK (serine/threonine proline-alanine-rich) kinases, which are substrates of WNK1. The WNK1-AI has a circularly permuted topology relative to the OSR1-PF2 domain. Nevertheless, like PF2 domains, WNK1-AI binds peptides that contain an RFXV motif with micromolar affinities as assessed by changes in (1)H,(15)N heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectra. Mutations to the WNK1-AI and binding peptides confirm a similar binding mode.
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PMID:Solution structure of the WNK1 autoinhibitory domain, a WNK-specific PF2 domain. 2337

WNK kinase family is conserved among many species and regulates SPAK/OSR1 and ion co-transporters. Some mutations in human WNK1 or WNK4 are associated with Pseudohypoaldosteronism type II, a form of hypertension. WNK is also involved in developmental and cellular processes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation in these processes remain unknown. Here, we identify a new target gene in WNK signaling, Arrowhead and Lhx8, which is a mammalian homologue of Drosophila Arrowhead. In Drosophila, WNK was shown to genetically interact with Arrowhead. In Wnk1 knockout mice, levels of Lhx8 expression were reduced. Ectopic expression of WNK1, WNK4 or Osr1 in mammalian cells induced the expression of the Lhx8. Moreover, neural specification was inhibited by the knockdown of both Wnk1 and Wnk4 or Lhx8. Drosophila WNK mutant caused defects in axon guidance during embryogenesis. These results suggest that WNK signaling is involved in the morphological and neural development via Lhx8/Arrowhead.
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PMID:WNK signaling is involved in neural development via Lhx8/Awh expression. 2338 44

The WNK (with no lysine kinase)-SPAK (SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase)/OSR1 (oxidative stress-responsive kinase 1) signalling pathway plays an important role in controlling mammalian blood pressure by modulating the activity of ion co-transporters in the kidney. Recent studies have identified Gordon's hypertension syndrome patients with mutations in either CUL3 (Cullin-3) or the BTB protein KLHL3 (Kelch-like 3). CUL3 assembles with BTB proteins to form Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes. To explore how a CUL3-KLHL3 complex might operate, we immunoprecipitated KLHL3 and found that it associated strongly with WNK isoforms and CUL3, but not with other components of the pathway [SPAK/OSR1 or NCC (Na(+)/Cl(-) co-transporter)/NKCC1 (Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) co-transporter 1)]. Strikingly, 13 out of the 15 dominant KLHL3 disease mutations analysed inhibited binding to WNK1 or CUL3. The recombinant wild-type CUL3-KLHL3 E3 ligase complex, but not a disease-causing CUL3-KLHL3[R528H] mutant complex, ubiquitylated WNK1 in vitro. Moreover, siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated knockdown of CUL3 increased WNK1 protein levels and kinase activity in HeLa cells. We mapped the KLHL3 interaction site in WNK1 to a non-catalytic region (residues 479-667). Interestingly, the equivalent region in WNK4 encompasses residues that are mutated in Gordon's syndrome patients. Strikingly, we found that the Gordon's disease-causing WNK4[E562K] and WNK4[Q565E] mutations, as well as the equivalent mutation in the WNK1[479-667] fragment, abolished the ability to interact with KLHL3. These results suggest that the CUL3-KLHL3 E3 ligase complex regulates blood pressure via its ability to interact with and ubiquitylate WNK isoforms. The findings of the present study also emphasize that the missense mutations in WNK4 that cause Gordon's syndrome strongly inhibit interaction with KLHL3. This could elevate blood pressure by increasing the expression of WNK4 thereby stimulating inappropriate salt retention in the kidney by promoting activation of the NCC/NKCC2 ion co-transporters. The present study reveals how mutations that disrupt the ability of an E3 ligase to interact with and ubiquitylate a critical cellular substrate such as WNK isoforms can trigger a chronic disease such as hypertension.
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PMID:The CUL3-KLHL3 E3 ligase complex mutated in Gordon's hypertension syndrome interacts with and ubiquitylates WNK isoforms: disease-causing mutations in KLHL3 and WNK4 disrupt interaction. 2338 99

Activation of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) can elicit hypertension independently from the systemic RAS. However, the precise mechanisms by which intrarenal Ang II increases blood pressure have never been identified. To this end, we studied the responses of mice specifically lacking kidney angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) to experimental hypertension. Here, we show that the absence of kidney ACE substantially blunts the hypertension induced by Ang II infusion (a model of high serum Ang II) or by nitric oxide synthesis inhibition (a model of low serum Ang II). Moreover, the renal responses to high serum Ang II observed in wild-type mice, including intrarenal Ang II accumulation, sodium and water retention, and activation of ion transporters in the loop of Henle (NKCC2) and distal nephron (NCC, ENaC, and pendrin) as well as the transporter activating kinases SPAK and OSR1, were effectively prevented in mice that lack kidney ACE. These findings demonstrate that ACE metabolism plays a fundamental role in the responses of the kidney to hypertensive stimuli. In particular, renal ACE activity is required to increase local Ang II, to stimulate sodium transport in loop of Henle and the distal nephron, and to induce hypertension.
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PMID:The absence of intrarenal ACE protects against hypertension. 2367 86

Human blood pressure is dependent on balancing dietary salt intake with its excretion by the kidney. Mendelian syndromes of altered blood pressure demonstrate the importance of the distal nephron in this process and of the thiazide-sensitive pathway in particular. Gordon syndrome (GS), the phenotypic inverse of the salt-wasting Gitelman syndrome, is a condition of hyperkalaemic hypertension that is reversed by low-dose thiazide diuretics or a low-salt diet. Variants within at least four genes [i.e. with-no-lysine(K) kinase 1 (WNK1), WNK4, kelch-like family member 3 (KLHL3) and cullin 3 (CUL3)] can cause the phenotype of GS. Details are still emerging for some of these genes, but it is likely that they all cause a gain-of-function in the thiazide-sensitive Na(+) -Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC) and hence salt retention. Herein, we discuss the key role of STE20/sporulation-specific protein 1 (SPS1)-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK), which functions as an intermediary between the WNKs and NCC and for which a loss-of-function mutation produces a Gitelman-type phenotype in a mouse model. In addition to Mendelian blood pressure syndromes, the study of patients who develop thiazide-induced-hyponatraemia (TIH) may give further molecular insights into the role of the thiazide-sensitive pathway for salt reabsorption. In the present paper we discuss the key features of TIH, including its high degree of reproducibility on rechallenge, possible genetic predisposition and mechanisms involving excessive saliuresis and water retention. Together, studies of Gordon syndrome and TIH may increase our understanding of the molecular regulation of sodium trafficking via the thiazide-sensitive pathway and have important implications for hypertensive patients, both in the identification of new antihypertensive drug targets and avoidance of hyponatraemic side-effects.
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PMID:Molecular insights from dysregulation of the thiazide-sensitive WNK/SPAK/NCC pathway in the kidney: Gordon syndrome and thiazide-induced hyponatraemia. 2368 32

Stimulation of the OSR1 (Oxidative stress-responsive kinase-1)/SPAK [STE20 (sterile 20)/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase]-NCC (Na(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter) signaling cascade plays an important role in the WNK [With-No-Lysine (K)] kinase 4 D561A knock-in mouse model of pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHA II) characterized by salt-sensitive hypertension and hyperkalemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the respective roles of Osr1 and Spak in the pathogenesis of PHA II in vivo. Wnk4 (D561A/+) mice were crossed with kidney tubule-specific (KSP) Osr1 knockout (KSP-Osr1 (-/-)) and Spak knockout (Spak (-/-)) mice. Blood pressure, plasma and urine biochemistries, and the relevant protein expression in the kidneys were examined. Wnk4 (D561A/+), KSP-Osr1 (-/-), and Spak (-/-) mice recapitulated the phenotypes of PHA II, Bartter-like syndrome, and Gitelman syndrome, respectively. Wnk4 (D561A/+).KSP-Osr1 (-/-) remained phenotypically PHA II while Wnk4 (D561A/+).Spak (-/-) mice became normotensive and lacked the PHA II phenotype. Phosphorylated Spak and Ncc were similarly increased in both Wnk4 (D561A/+) and Wnk4 (D561A/+).KSP-Osr1 (-/-) mice while phosphorylated Ncc normalized in Wnk4 (D561A/+).Spak (-/-) mice. Furthermore, Wnk4 (D561A/+).KSP-Osr1 (-/-) mice exhibited exaggerated salt excretion in response to thiazide diuretics while Wnk4 (D561A/+).Spak (-/-) mice exhibited normal responses. Wnk4(D561A/+).Spak (-/-).KSP-Osr1 (-/-) triple mutant mice had low blood pressure and diminished phosphorylated Ncc. Both SPAK and OSR1 are important in the maintenance of blood pressure but activation of SPAK-NCC plays the dominant role in PHA II. SPAK may be a therapeutic target for disorders with salt-sensitive hypertension related to WNK4 activation.
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PMID:SPAK deficiency corrects pseudohypoaldosteronism II caused by WNK4 mutation. 2403 33


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