Abstract
Abstract Background and Aims Uromodulin (UMOD) is a kidney-specific glycoprotein and the most abundant urinary protein in healthy individuals. Genome-wide association studies have shown an association between UMOD variants, kidney diseases, and hypertension. UMOD exhibits bidirectional secretion as it releases into the renal interstitium and circulation. However, the molecular trafficking of UMOD and its interaction remains poorly defined. We aimed to establish a stable Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) cell line expressing human UMOD to identify the potential regulators of UMOD expression or secretion. This study will provide significant implications for conditions such as hypertension, chronic kidney diseases, acute kidney injury, or UMOD-autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (UMOD-ADTKD). Method A HEK-UMOD-expressing cell line was generated by introducing human UMOD transcript 1 expression and using a tetracycline-inducible expression vector (pcDNA™FRT⁄TO vector) with yellow fluorescent protein tag at the C-terminal and previously established MDCK-UMOD cell line was also used. An untargeted proteomic approach was used to identify proteins, using GFP trap co-immunoprecipitation assay followed by mass spectrometry analysis. Results We identified 1367 and 1140 UMOD interacting proteins in HEK and MDCK cell models respectively. There were 620 proteins common to both these models. Through gene ontology, we unravel the molecular mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis, folding, and transport of UMOD. We observed several proteins associated with clathrin-mediated transporting. To study the role of clathrin in UMOD transport, we treated the polarised MDCK-UMOD cells with pitstop 2. There was significantly more secretion of UMOD with pitstop 2 treatment in the apical compartment compared to untreated cells however there was no significant difference in UMOD secretion in the basolateral compartment. Conclusion These results suggested that clathrin-coated vesicles are involved in transporting and sorting UMOD. Further studies need to investigate the functional importance of these proteins in UMOD trafficking and their implications in different physiological processes.
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