Ammonia Stress Coping Strategy in a Highly Invasive Ascidian

The outbreak of invasive ascidian Molgula manhattensis has negatively affected marine and coastal ecosystems and caused huge economic loss in various industries such as aquaculture. In mariculture systems usually characterized by high ammonia nitrogen, the capacity of M. manhattensis to defend against drastic ammonia elevation plays a crucial role in its survival and subsequent invasions. However, ammonia coping strategies and associated genes/proteins remain largely unknown. Here we investigated rhesus glycoproteins (Rh)-mediated ammonia transport by identifying all Rh proteins and exploring their mRNA expression regulations under ammonia stress. Three types of primitive Rh proteins were identified, and all contained conserved amino acid residues and functional domains. Ammonia stress largely suppressed the expression of immune-related genes, but rapidly induced the increased expression of Rh genes. Ammonia was converted into glutamine as indicated by the increased expression of glutamine synthetase gene, rather than urea as illustrated by the stable expression of arginase gene. Collectively, M. manhattensis mitigates ammonia challenge by enhancing ammonia excretion through Rh channels and detoxifying ammonia into glutamine. Our results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying high tolerance and invasion success to high ammonia environments by invasive ascidians.

Carbon dioxide transport across membranes

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) movement across cellular membranes is passive and governed by Fick's law of diffusion. Until recently, we believed that gases cross biological membranes exclusively by dissolving in and then diffusing through membrane lipid. However, the observation that some membranes are CO 2 impermeable led to the discovery of a gas molecule moving through a channel; namely, CO 2 diffusion through aquaporin-1 (AQP1). Later work demonstrated CO 2 diffusion through rhesus (Rh) proteins and NH 3 diffusion through both AQPs and Rh proteins. The tetrameric AQPs exhibit differential selectivity for CO 2 versus NH 3 versus H 2 O, reflecting physico-chemical differences among the small molecules as well as among the hydrophilic monomeric pores and hydrophobic central pores of various AQPs. Preliminary work suggests that NH 3 moves through the monomeric pores of AQP1, whereas CO 2 moves through both monomeric and central pores. Initial work on AQP5 indicates that it is possible to create a metal-binding site on the central pore's extracellular face, thereby blocking CO 2 movement. The trimeric Rh proteins have monomers with hydrophilic pores surrounding a hydrophobic central pore. Preliminary work on the bacterial Rh homologue AmtB suggests that gas can diffuse through the central pore and three sets of interfacial clefts between monomers. Finally, initial work indicates that CO 2 diffuses through the electrogenic Na/HCO 3 cotransporter NBCe1. At least in some cells, CO 2 -permeable proteins could provide important pathways for transmembrane CO 2 movements. Such pathways could be amenable to cellular regulation and could become valuable drug targets.

Ammonium transporter expression in sperm of the disease vectorAedes aegyptimosquito influences male fertility

The ammonium transporter (AMT)/methylammonium permease (MEP)/Rhesus glycoprotein (Rh) family of ammonia (NH3/NH4+) transporters has been identified in organisms from all domains of life. In animals, fundamental roles for AMT and Rh proteins in the specific transport of ammonia across biological membranes to mitigate ammonia toxicity and aid in osmoregulation, acid–base balance, and excretion have been well documented. Here, we observed enrichedAmt(AeAmt1) mRNA levels within reproductive organs of the arboviral vector mosquito,Aedes aegypti, prompting us to explore the role of AMTs in reproduction. We show that AeAmt1 is localized to sperm flagella during all stages of spermiogenesis and spermatogenesis in male testes. AeAmt1 expression in sperm flagella persists in spermatozoa that navigate the female reproductive tract following insemination and are stored within the spermathecae, as well as throughout sperm migration along the spermathecal ducts during ovulation to fertilize the descending egg. We demonstrate that RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated AeAmt1 protein knockdown leads to significant reductions (∼40%) of spermatozoa stored in seminal vesicles of males, resulting in decreased egg viability when these males inseminate nonmated females. We suggest that AeAmt1 function in spermatozoa is to protect against ammonia toxicity based on our observations of high NH4+levels in the densely packed spermathecae of mated females. The presence of AMT proteins, in addition to Rh proteins, across insect taxa may indicate a conserved function for AMTs in sperm viability and reproduction in general.

Development of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito larvae in high ammonia sewage in septic tanks causes alterations in ammonia excretion, ammonia transporter expression, and osmoregulation

Larvae of the disease vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) readily develop in ammonia rich sewage in the British Virgin Islands. To understand how the larvae survive in ammonia levels that are lethal to most animals, an examination of ammonia excretory physiology in larvae collected from septic-water and freshwater was carried out. A. aegypti larvae were found to be remarkably plastic in dealing with high external ammonia through the modulation of NH4+ excretion at the anal papillae, measured using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET), and NH4+ secretion in the primary urine by the Malpighian tubules when developing in septicwater. Ammonia transporters, Amt and Rh proteins, are expressed in ionoregulatory and excretory organs, with increases in Rh protein, Na+-K+-ATPase, and V-type-H+-ATPase expression observed in the Malpighian tubules, hindgut, and anal papillae in septic-water larvae. A comparative approach using laboratory A. aegypti larvae reared in high ammonia septic-water revealed similar responses to collected A. aegypti with regard to altered ammonia secretion and hemolymph ion composition. Results suggest that the observed alterations in excretory physiology of larvae developing in septic-water is a consequence of the high ammonia levels and that A. aegypti larvae may rely on ammonia transporting proteins coupled to active transport to survive in septic-water.

Mechanisms of ammonia and ammonium transport by rhesus-associated glycoproteins

In this study we characterized ammonia and ammonium (NH3/NH4+) transport by the rhesus-associated (Rh) glycoproteins RhAG, Rhbg, and Rhcg expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We used ion-selective microelectrodes and two-electrode voltage clamp to measure changes in intracellular pH, surface pH, and whole cell currents induced by NH3/NH4+ and methyl amine/ammonium (MA/MA+). These measurements allowed us to define signal-specific signatures to distinguish NH3 from NH4+ transport and to determine how transport of NH3 and NH4+ differs among RhAG, Rhbg, and Rhcg. Our data indicate that expression of Rh glycoproteins in oocytes generally enhanced NH3/NH4+ transport and that cellular changes induced by transport of MA/MA+ by Rh proteins were different from those induced by transport of NH3/NH4+. Our results support the following conclusions: 1) RhAG and Rhbg transport both the ionic NH4+ and neutral NH3 species; 2) transport of NH4+ is electrogenic; 3) like Rhbg, RhAG transport of NH4+ masks NH3 transport; and 4) Rhcg is likely to be a predominantly NH3 transporter, with no evidence of enhanced NH4+ transport by this transporter. The dual role of Rh proteins as NH3 and NH4+ transporters is a unique property and may be critical in understanding how transepithelial secretion of NH3/NH4+ occurs in the renal collecting duct.

Movement of NH3 through the human urea transporter B: a new gas channel

Aquaporins and Rh proteins can function as gas (CO2 and NH3) channels. The present study explores the urea, H2O, CO2, and NH3 permeability of the human urea transporter B (UT-B) (SLC14A1), expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We monitored urea uptake using [14C]urea and measured osmotic water permeability ( Pf) using video microscopy. To obtain a semiquantitative measure of gas permeability, we used microelectrodes to record the maximum transient change in surface pH (ΔpHS) caused by exposing oocytes to 5% CO2/33 mM HCO3− (pHS increase) or 0.5 mM NH3/NH4+ (pHS decrease). UT-B expression increased oocyte permeability to urea by >20-fold, and Pf by 8-fold vs. H2O-injected control oocytes. UT-B expression had no effect on the CO2-induced ΔpHS but doubled the NH3-induced ΔpHS. Phloretin reduced UT-B-dependent urea uptake ([Formula: see text]) by 45%, [Formula: see text] by 50%, and ([Formula: see text])NH3 by 70%. p-Chloromercuribenzene sulfonate reduced [Formula: see text] by 25%, [Formula: see text] by 30%, and ([Formula: see text])NH3 by 100%. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of membrane-embedded models of UT-B identified the monomeric UT-B pores as the main conduction pathway for both H2O and NH3 and characterized the energetics associated with permeation of these species through the channel. Mutating each of two conserved threonines lining the monomeric urea pores reduced H2O and NH3 permeability. Our data confirm that UT-B has significant H2O permeability and for the first time demonstrate significant NH3 permeability. Thus the UTs become the third family of gas channels. Inhibitor and mutagenesis studies and results of MD simulations suggest that NH3 and H2O pass through the three monomeric urea channels in UT-B.