CFTR expression in cortical collecting duct cells.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-activated chloride channel located in the apical membrane of many epithelial cells, and it may play a significant role in the kidney. Recent functional evidence from our laboratory suggests that CFTR may be expressed by the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Therefore, in the present study, the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was utilized to detect CFTR mRNA in the M-1 mouse CCD cell line and in immunoselected rabbit CCD cells. Primers were constructed to amplify the cDNA sequence encoding the first nucleotide binding domain of CFTR. CFTR PCR products were obtained from both M-1 and rabbit CCD cDNA preparations. The identify of the product amplified from M-1 cell cDNA was confirmed by restriction digestion analysis. The rabbit CCD PCR product was sequenced, and its deduced amino acid sequence was found to be 97% homologous to the corresponding regions of human CFTR. The level of CFTR cDNA detected after 30 cycles of amplification of CCD cDNA was only 49 +/- 8 (n = 9) times lower than the level of beta-actin PCR product obtained from the same sample, suggesting that the levels of CFTR mRNA present in the CCD are physiologically relevant. Northern analysis, using a cRNA probe corresponding to the amplified region on the mRNA from CCD cells, revealed a single hybridizing species with a size of approximately 6.5 kb. Finally, CFTR PCR was performed with cDNA preparations originating from principal cells (PC), beta-intercalated cells (beta-ICC), and alpha-ICC obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of rabbit CCD. CFTR PCR products were obtained from all three cell types, with the most abundant levels found in beta-ICC. beta-ICC expressed 25-fold (n = 4, P < 0.001) and 4.5-fold (n = 7, P < 0.001) higher levels than PC and alpha-ICC, respectively. This distribution pattern suggests that, within the CCD, CFTR plays a role primarily in beta-ICC function.