title: Molecular cloning and functional reconstitution of a urate transporter/channel.
abstract: Maintenance of urate homeostasis requires urate efflux from urate-producing cells with subsequent renal and gastrointestinal excretion. The molecular basis for urate transport, however, has not been identified. A novel full-length cDNA encoding a 322-amino acid protein, designated UAT (urate transporter), has been cloned from a rat renal cDNA library by antibody screening. UAT mRNA transcripts that approximate 1.55 kilobases are present, but differentially expressed in various rat tissues. Recombinant UAT protein that was expressed from the cloned cDNA in Escherichia coli and purified via immobilized metal affinity chromatography has been functionally reconstituted as a highly selective urate transporter/channel in planar lipid bilayers. The IgG fraction of the polyclonal antibody that was used to select the UAT clone from the cDNA library, but not nonimmune IgG, blocked urate channel activity. Based on the wide tissue distribution of the mRNA for UAT we propose that UAT provides the molecular basis for urate flux across cell membranes, allowing urate that is formed during purine metabolism to efflux from cells and serving as an electrogenic transporter that plays an important role in renal and gastrointestinal urate excretion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leal-Pinto
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rappaport
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Knorr
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Abramson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D037483:Galectin 1; D015870:Gene Expression; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009226:Myristates / Q000378:metabolism; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037483:Galectin 1; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007473:Ion Channels; C491242:Lgals9 protein, rat; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009226:Myristates; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C103862:urate transporter; D014527:Uric Acid