title: Comparative expression of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in the mouse, rat, and human kidney.
abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) was cloned over 20 years ago and functionally demonstrated to regulate circulating levels of parathyroid hormone by maintaining physiological serum ionized calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]). The receptor is highly expressed in the kidney; however, intrarenal and intraspecies distribution remains controversial. Recently, additional functions of the CaSR receptor in the kidney have emerged, including parathyroid hormone-independent effects. It is therefore critical to establish unequivocally the localization of the CaSR in the kidney to relate this to its proposed physiological roles. In this study, we determined CaSR expression in mouse, rat, and human kidneys using in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry (using 8 different commercially available and custom-made antibodies), and proximity ligation assays. Negative results in mice with kidney-specific CaSR ablation confirmed the specificity of the immunohistochemistry signal. Both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed CaSR expression in the thick ascending limb, distal tubule, and collecting duct of all species, with the thick ascending limb showing the highest levels. Within the collecting ducts, there was significant heterogeneity of expression between cell types. In the proximal tubule, lower levels of immunoreactivity were detected by immunohistochemistry and proximity ligation assays. Proximity ligation assays were the only technique to demonstrate expression within glomeruli. This study demonstrated CaSR expression throughout the kidney with minimal discrepancy between species but with significant variation in the levels of expression between cell and tubule types. These findings clarify the intrarenal distribution of the CaSR and enable elucidation of the full physiological roles of the receptor within this organ.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Macclesfield, United Kingdom; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: J A Z
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Graca
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schepelmann
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Pathology Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Macclesfield, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reens
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, California;
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; and.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Hyperension, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toka
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; riccardi@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.affiliation: Pathology Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Macclesfield, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing
keywords: antibody; calcium-sensing receptor; kidney; localization; proximity ligation assay