Mitochondrial TCA cycle intermediates regulate body fluid and acid-base balance.
Intrarenal control mechanisms play an important role in the maintenance of body fluid and electrolyte balance and pH homeostasis. Recent discoveries of new ion transport and regulatory pathways in the distal nephron and collecting duct system have helped to better our understanding of these critical kidney functions and identified new potential therapeutic targets and approaches. In this issue of the JCI, Tokonami et al. report on the function of an exciting new paracrine mediator, the mitochondrial the citric acid(TCA) cycle intermediate α-ketoglutarate (αKG), which via its OXGR1 receptor plays an unexpected, nontraditional role in the adaptive regulation of renal HCO(3⁻) secretion and salt reabsorption.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Department of Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90033 USA. petipete@usc.edu
János
J
Peti-Peterdi
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000818:Animals; D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids / Q000652:urine*; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D019899:Paracrine Communication
D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids