Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0025362 (mental retardation)
 15,878 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The human electrogenic renal Na-HCO(3) cotransporter (NBCe1-A; SLC4A4) is localized to the basolateral membrane of proximal tubule cells. Mutations in the SLC4A4 gene cause an autosomal recessive proximal renal tubular acidosis (pRTA), a disease characterized by impaired ability of the proximal tubule to reabsorb HCO(3)(-) from the glomerular filtrate. Other symptoms can include mental retardation and ocular abnormalities. Recently, a novel homozygous missense mutant (R881C) of NBCe1-A was reported from a patient with a severe pRTA phenotype. The mutant protein was described as having a lower than normal activity when expressed in Xenopus oocytes, despite having normal Na(+) affinity. However, without trafficking data, it is impossible to determine the molecular basis for the phenotype. In the present study, we expressed wild-type NBCe1-A (WT) and mutant NBCe1-A (R881C), tagged at the COOH terminus with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). This approach permitted semiquantification of surface expression in individual Xenopus oocytes before assay by two-electrode voltage clamp or measurements of intracellular pH. These data show that the mutation reduces the surface expression rather than the activity of the individual protein molecules. Confocal microscopy on polarized mammalian epithelial kidney cells [Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK)I] expressing nontagged WT or R881C demonstrates that WT is expressed at the basolateral membrane of these cells, whereas R881C is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. In summary, the pathophysiology of pRTA caused by the R881C mutation is likely due to a deficit of NBCe1-A at the proximal tubule basolateral membrane, rather than a defect in the transport activity of individual molecules.
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PMID:The human NBCe1-A mutant R881C, associated with proximal renal tubular acidosis, retains function but is mistargeted in polarized renal epithelia. 1670 54

Autosomal recessive proximal renal tubular acidosis is caused by mutations in the SLC4A4 gene encoding the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter NBCe1-A. The mutations that have been characterized thus far result in premature truncation, mistargeting, or decreased function of the cotransporter. Despite bicarbonate treatment to correct the metabolic acidosis, extrarenal manifestations persist, including glaucoma, cataracts, corneal opacification, and mental retardation. Currently, there are no known therapeutic approaches that can specifically target mutant NBCe1-A proteins. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutation can be rescued in vitro by treatment with aminoglycoside antibiotics, which are known for their ability to suppress premature stop codons. As a model system, we cloned the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutant into a vector lacking an aminoglycoside resistance gene and transfected the mutant cotransporter in HEK293-H cells. Cells transfected with the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutant failed to express the cotransporter because of the premature stop codon. Treatment of the cells with G418 significantly increased the expression of the full-length cotransporter, as assessed by immunoblot analysis. Furthermore, immunocytochemical studies demonstrated that G418 treatment induced cotransporter expression on the plasma membrane whereas in the absence of G418, NBCe1-A-Q29X was not expressed. In HEK293-H cells transfected with the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutant not treated with G418, NBCe1-A-mediated flux was not detectable. In contrast, in cells transfected with the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutant, G418 treatment induced Na(+)- and HCO(3)(-)-dependent transport that did not differ from wild-type NBCe1-A function. G418 treatment in mock-transfected cells was without effect. In conclusion, G418 induces ribosomal read-through of the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutation in HEK293-H cells. These findings represent the first evidence that in the presence of the NBCe1-A-Q29X mutation that causes proximal renal tubular acidosis, full-length functional NBCe1-A protein can be produced. Our results provide the first demonstration of a mutation in NBCe1-A that has been treated in a targeted and specific manner.
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PMID:G418-mediated ribosomal read-through of a nonsense mutation causing autosomal recessive proximal renal tubular acidosis. 1861 22