The Voltage Dependence of a Cloned Mammalian Renal Type II Na+/Pi Cotransporter (NaPi-2)

The voltage dependence of the rat renal type II Na+/Pi cotransporter (NaPi-2) was investigated by expressing NaPi-2 in Xenopus laevis oocytes and applying the two-electrode voltage clamp. In the steady state, superfusion with inorganic phosphate (Pi) induced inward currents (Ip) in the presence of 96 mM Na+ over the potential range -140 </= V </= +40 mV. With Pi as the variable substrate, the apparent affinity constant (KmPi) was strongly dependent on Na+, increasing sixfold for a twofold reduction in external Na+. KmPi increased with depolarizing voltage and was more sensitive to voltage at reduced Na+. The Hill coefficient was close to unity and the predicted maximum Ip (Ipmax) was 40% smaller at 50 mM Na+. With Na+ as the variable substrate, KmNa was weakly dependent on both Pi and voltage, the Hill coefficient was close to 3 and Ipmax was independent of Pi at -50 mV. The competitive inhibitor phosphonoformic acid suppressed the steady state holding current in a Na+-dependent manner, indicating the existence of uncoupled Na+ slippage. Voltage steps induced pre-steady state relaxations typical for Na+-coupled cotransporters. NaPi-2-dependent relaxations were quantitated by a single, voltage-dependent exponential. At 96 mM Na+, a Boltzmann function was fit to the steady state charge distribution (Q-V) to give a midpoint voltage (V0.5) in the range -20 to -50 mV and an apparent valency of approximately 0.5 e-. V0.5 became more negative as Na+ was reduced. Pi suppressed relaxations in a dose-dependent manner, but had little effect on their voltage dependence. Reducing external pH shifted V0.5 to depolarizing potentials and suppressed relaxations in the absence of Na+, suggesting that protons interact with the unloaded carrier. These findings were incorporated into an ordered kinetic model whereby Na+ is the first and last substrate to bind, and the observed voltage dependence arises from the unloaded carrier and first Na+ binding step.