Profiling at mRNA, protein, and metabolite levels reveals alterations in renal amino acid handling and glutathione metabolism in kidney tissue of Pept2-/- mice

Physiol Genomics. 2007 Feb 12;28(3):301-10. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00193.2006. Epub 2006 Oct 31.

Abstract

PEPT2 is an integral membrane protein in the apical membrane of renal epithelial cells that operates as a rheogenic transporter for di- and tripeptides and structurally related drugs. Its prime role is thought to be the reabsorption of filtered di- and tripeptides contributing to amino acid homeostasis. To elucidate the role of PEPT2 in renal amino acid metabolism we submitted kidney tissues of wild-type and a Pept2(-/-) mouse line to a comprehensive transcriptome, proteome and metabolome profiling and analyzed urinary amino acids and dipeptides. cDNA microarray analysis identified 147 differentially expressed transcripts in transporter-deficient animals, and proteome analysis by 2D-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS identified 37 differentially expressed proteins. Metabolite profiling by GC-MS revealed predominantly altered concentrations of amino acids and derivatives. Urinary excretion of amino acids demonstrated increased glycine and cysteine/cystine concentrations and dipeptides in urine were assessed by amino acid analysis of urine samples before and after in vitro dipeptidase digestion. Dipeptides constituted a noticeable fraction of urinary amino acids in Pept2(-/-) animals, only, and dipeptide-bound glycine and cystine were selectively increased in Pept2(-/-) urine samples. These findings were confirmed by a drastically increased excretion of cysteinyl-glycine (cys-gly). Urinary loss of cys-gly together with lower concentrations of cysteine, glycine, and oxoproline in kidney tissue and altered expression of mRNA and proteins involved in glutathione (GSH) metabolism suggests that PEPT2 is predominantly a system for reabsorption of cys-gly originating from GSH break-down, thus contributing to resynthesis of GSH.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Amino Acids / urine*
  • Animals
  • Dipeptides / metabolism
  • Dipeptides / urine
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Glutathione / urine
  • Kidney / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Models, Biological
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Proteomics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Symporters / genetics
  • Symporters / physiology*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Dipeptides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Symporters
  • hydrogen-coupled oligopeptide transporter PepT2
  • cysteinylglycine
  • Glutathione