Effects of vasopressin and aldosterone on the lateral mobility of epithelial Na+ channels in A6 renal epithelial cells.

We have previously demonstrated that apical Na+ channels in A6 renal epithelial cells are associated with spectrin-based membrane cytoskeleton proteins and that the lateral mobility of these channels, as determined by fluorescence photobleach recovery (FPR) analysis, is severely restricted by this association (Smith et al., 1991. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:6971-6975). Recent data indicate that the actin component of the cytoskeleton may play a role in modulating Na+ channel activity (Cantiello et al., 1991. Am. J. Physiol. 261:C882-C888); however, it is unknown if the Na+ channel's linkage to the spectrin-based membrane cytoskeleton is also involved in regulating channel activity. In this study, we have used FPR to examine if the linkage of the Na+ channels to the membrane cytoskeleton is a site for modulation of Na+ channel activity in filter grown A6 cells by vasopressin and aldosterone. We hypothesized that if the linkage of the Na+ channels to the membrane cytoskeleton is a site for regulation of Na+ channel activity by vasopressin and aldosterone, then hormone-mediated changes in either the membrane cytoskeleton or the affinity of the Na+ channel for the membrane cytoskeleton, should be reflected in changes in the lateral mobility and/or mobile fraction of Na+ channels on the cell surface. FPR revealed that although the rates of lateral mobility were not affected, there was a twofold increase in mobility fraction (f) of apical Na+ channels in aldosterone-treated (16 hr) monolayers (f = 32.31 +/- 5.42%) when compared to control (unstimulated) (f = 14.2 +/- 0.77%) and vasopressin-treated (20 min) (f = 12.7 +/- 2.4%) monolayers. The twofold increase in mobile fraction of Na+ channels corresponds to the average increase in Na+ transport in response to aldosterone in A6 cells. The aldosterone-induced increase in Na+ transport and mobile fraction can be inhibited by the methylation inhibitor, 3-deazaadenosine, consistent with the hypothesis that a methylation event is involved in aldosterone induced upregulation of Na+ transport. We propose that the membrane cytoskeleton is involved in the aldosterone-mediated activation of epithelial Na+ channels.