The natriuretic peptide uroguanylin elicits physiologic actions through 2 distinct topoisomers

Hypertension. 2009 May;53(5):867-76. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.108.128264. Epub 2009 Mar 16.

Abstract

The peptide uroguanylin regulates electrolyte transport in the intestine and kidney. Human uroguanylin has 2 conformations that can be stably isolated because of their slow interconversion rate. The A isomer potently activates the guanylate cyclase C receptor found primarily in the intestine. The B isomer, by contrast, is a very weak agonist of this receptor, leading to a widely held assumption that it is physiologically irrelevant. We show here, however, that human uroguanylin B has potent natriuretic activity in the kidney. Interestingly, uroguanylin A and B both induce saluretic responses, but the activity profiles for the 2 peptides differ markedly. The uroguanylin B dose-response curve is sigmoidal with a threshold dose of approximately 10 nmol/kg of body weight, whereas uroguanylin A has a comparable threshold but a bell-shaped dose-response curve. In addition, our study indicates a unique interplay between the A and B isoforms, such that the A form at high concentrations antagonizes the natriuretic action of the B form. These data show that the kidney contains a uroguanylin receptor of which the pharmacological profile does not match that of the well-defined intestinal uroguanylin receptor (guanylate cyclase C), an observation consistent with previous studies showing that the kidney of the guanylate cyclase C knockout mouse remains responsive to uroguanylin. The results presented here also support the unconventional notion that distinct conformations of a single endocrine peptide can elicit different responses in different tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Glomerular Filtration Rate / drug effects
  • Guanylate Cyclase / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Natriuretic Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Renal Circulation / drug effects
  • Sodium / urine

Substances

  • Natriuretic Peptides
  • Protein Isoforms
  • uroguanylin
  • Sodium
  • Guanylate Cyclase