Ubiquitin-protein ligase WWP2 binds to and downregulates the epithelial Na(+) channel

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2002 Sep;283(3):F431-6. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00080.2002.

Abstract

The epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) is a critical component of the pathway maintaining salt and water balance. The channel is regulated by members of the Nedd4 family of ubiquitin-protein ligases, which bind to channel subunits and catalyze channel internalization and degradation. ENaC mutations that abolish this interaction cause Liddle's syndrome, a genetic form of hypertension. Here, we test the hypothesis that WW domain-containing protein 2 (WWP2), a member of the Nedd4 family of ubiquitin-protein ligases, is a candidate to regulate ENaC. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that WWP2 is expressed in epithelial tissues that express ENaC, as well as in a wide variety of other tissues. WWP2 contains four WW domains, three of which bound differentially to ENaC subunits. In contrast, all four human Nedd4-2 WW domains bound to ENaC. WWP2 inhibited ENaC when coexpressed in epithelia, requiring a direct interaction between the proteins; mutation of the ENaC PY motifs abolished inhibition. Thus expression, binding, and functional data all suggest that WWP2 is a candidate to regulate ENaC-mediated Na(+) transport in epithelia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / analysis
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport
  • Epithelial Sodium Channels
  • Epithelium / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Ligases / analysis
  • Ligases / genetics
  • Ligases / metabolism*
  • Mutagenesis
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Sodium / metabolism
  • Sodium Channels / genetics
  • Sodium Channels / physiology*
  • Thyroid Gland / metabolism
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Transfection
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases*

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport
  • Epithelial Sodium Channels
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Sodium Channels
  • Sodium
  • NEDD4L protein, rat
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • Nedd4 protein, human
  • Nedd4 protein, rat
  • Nedd4L protein, human
  • WWP2 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Ligases