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BASIC RESEARCH www.jasn.org Recombination Signal Binding Protein for Ig-kJ Region Regulates Juxtaglomerular Cell Phenotype by Activating the Myo-Endocrine Program and Suppressing Ectopic Gene Expression † † ‡ Ruth M. Castellanos-Rivera,* Ellen S. Pentz,* Eugene Lin,* Kenneth W. Gross, † Silvia Medrano,* Jing Yu,§ Maria Luisa S. Sequeira-Lopez,* and R. Ariel Gomez* *Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, †Department of Biology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and §Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; and ‡Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York ABSTRACT Recombination signal binding protein for Ig-kJ region (RBP-J), the major downstream effector of Notch signaling, is necessary to maintain the number of renin-positive juxtaglomerular cells and the plasticity of arteriolar smooth muscle cells to re-express renin when homeostasis is threatened. We hypothesized that RBP-J controls a repertoire of genes that defines the phenotype of the renin cell. Mice bearing a bacterial artificial chromosome reporter with a mutated RBP-J binding site in the renin promoter had markedly reduced reporter expression at the basal state and in response to a homeostatic challenge. Mice with conditional deletion of RBP-J in renin cells had decreased expression of endocrine (renin and Akr1b7)and smooth muscle (Acta2, Myh11, Cnn1,andSmtn) genes and regulators of smooth muscle expression (miR- 145, SRF, Nfatc4, and Crip1). To determine whether RBP-J deletion decreased the endowment of renin cells, we traced the fate of these cells in RBP-J conditional deletion mice. Notably, the lineage staining patterns in mutant and control kidneys were identical, although mutant kidneys had fewer or no renin- expressing cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Microarray analysis of mutant arterioles revealed upreg- ulation of genes usually expressed in hematopoietic cells. Thus, these results suggest that RBP-J maintains the identity of the renin cell by not only activating genes characteristic of the myo-endocrine phenotype but also, preventing ectopic gene expression and adoption of an aberrant phenotype, which could have severe consequences for the control of homeostasis. J Am Soc Nephrol 26: 67–80, 2015. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2013101045 Juxtaglomerular (JG) cells are crucial for the JG cells express a unique set of genes character- maintenance of BP and fluid/electrolyte homeosta- istic of both endocrine and SM cells.7 This dual sis. These cells act as sensors that constantly monitor endocrine–contractile phenotype is crucial for the the physiologic status of the animal and convey rapid regulation of BP and renal hemodynamics. information to adjacent cells within the JG appa- However, the factors controlling this dual phenotype ratus and along the renal arterioles. Under normal circumstances, renin secretion by JG cells suffices to maintain homeostasis. However, when there is a Received October 4, 2013. Accepted April 4, 2014. more profound physiologic challenge, to restore Published online ahead of print. Publication date available at homeostasis, preexistent smooth muscle (SM) cells www.jasn.org. along the arterioles, mesangial cells, and interstitial Correspondence: Dr. R. Ariel Gomez, University of Virginia, School pericytes1 gradually dedifferentiate into renin- of Medicine, 409 Lane Road, MR4 Building 2001, Charlottesville, producing cells in a pattern resembling the one VA 22908. Email: [email protected] – found in fetal life.2 6 Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology J Am Soc Nephrol 26: 67–80, 2015 ISSN : 1046-6673/2601-67 67 BASIC RESEARCH www.jasn.org and the mechanisms that regulate the ability of SM cells along Mut-BAC than treated WT-BAC mice (Figure 1F). As expec- the afferent arterioles to reacquire the renin phenotype have ted, renin staining and JGA index for renin were similar in not been fully defined. both groups, indicating that introduction of the BAC trans- JG cells and adjacent cells along the arterioles express all the gene did not disrupt the expression of the endogenous renin components of the Notch signaling pathway,7 an ancestral cell– gene (Figure 1, E and F). Together, these data indicate that cell communication system involved in cell fate decisions. We RBP-J regulates the renin promoter directly (Figure 7A) and hypothesized that the Notch pathway through its major tran- is involved in the ability of SM cells along the arteriole to scriptional effector, recombination signal binding protein for reacquire the renin phenotype. Ig-kJ region (RBP-J), maintains the identity of the JG cell and the ability of cells along the arterioles to regain the renin phe- RBP-J Deletion Does Not Affect the Endowment of notype when homeostasis is threatened. In fact, mice with Cells from the Renin Lineage conditional deletion of RBP-J (conditional knockout [cKO]) To determine whether the marked diminution in the number in cells from the renin lineage have very few JG cells, and SM of JG cells resulted from a decreased population or a change in cells along the afferent arterioles cannot reacquire the renin the distribution of cells from the renin lineage, we performed phenotype on a physiologic challenge.8 However, it was lineage studies in cKO and control mice harboring the R26R10 unclear whether in vivo Notch/RBP-J regulated the renin reporter. After cre-mediated recombination in the control and promoter directly and/or the expression of genes known to cKO mice, cells of the renin lineage express b-galactosidase be characteristic of or responsible for the dual endocrine– (b-gal), effectively labeling renin cells and their descendants. contractile phenotype of the renin cell. Therefore, we We found that, as expected, these RBP-J cKO;R26R mice had designed a series of experiments to test the hypothesis reduced renin expression (Supplemental Table 1) as previ- that RBP-J regulates a gene network that controls the dual ously described in cKO mice lacking the reporter.8 Interest- endocrine–contractile identity of the JG cell and the ability ingly, the distribution of b-gal–positive cells was identical in of cells upstream from the glomerulus to reacquire the renin the control and cKO kidneys (Figure 2), and the b-gal JGA phenotype. indices were the same (Supplemental Figure 1). In contrast to controls, costaining for renin verified that cKO mice had few or no renin-expressing cells in the JGAs, but they were still b-gal– RESULTS positive (Figure 2F, Supplemental Table 1). Furthermore, assays for apoptosis (Supplemental Table 2) and cell proliferation (not RBP-J Activates the Renin Promoter shown) showed no difference between control and cKO mice. To determine whether RBP-J directly affects renin expression, These data indicate that the decrease in the number of renin- we used a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system to expressing cells was not caused by an increase in the percentage generate control wild-type BAC (WT-BAC) transgenic mice, in of dead cells or a decrease in the number and/or location of the which the first exon of the Ren1c gene was replaced with an renin precursors and subsequent progeny of renin-derived enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP), and mutant BAC cells. Therefore, former renin-expressing cells and their de- (Mut-BAC) mice, in which the four nucleotides in the RBP-J scendants are still present in the appropriate locations in cKO consensus sequence critical for its binding9 were substituted in mice, although they are no longer capable of expressing renin, the BAC construct (Figure 1A). suggesting the possibility that they have adopted a different We studied two independent transgenic lines each contain- phenotype. ing two copies of the WT-BAC or Mut-BAC transgene. In the basal state, Mut-BAC mice had 87% lower GFP mRNA RBP-J Deletion Affects the Myo-Endocrine Phenotype expression than WT-BAC mice (Figure 1B). To investigate of Cells of the Renin Lineage whether Mut-BAC mice can increase the expression of GFP Given that cells of the renin lineage were still present in the under a physiologic threat, we treated Mut-BAC and WT-BAC appropriate locations in RBP-J cKO mice, suggesting that they mice with captopril and sodium depletion for 5 days, a ma- may have switched their phenotype, led us to investigate nipulation known to induce arteriolar SM cells upstream from whether repression of renin was accompanied by alterations the JG area (JGA) to reacquire the renin phenotype. Treated in the expression of other genes characteristic of renin cells.7 Mut-BAC mice had diminished capacity to increase GFP ex- Aldo-keto reductase 1b7 (Akr1b7), an independent endocrine pression (only 30% of that in treated WT-BAC mice) (Figure marker of JG cells, is coexpressed at almost the same level as 1C). In correspondence with the smaller increase in GFP ex- renin in JG cells throughout development and in response to pression in the treated Mut-BAC mice, immunohistochemis- physiologic manipulations.7 Akr1b7 immunostaining in cKO try for GFP showed that, in contrast to treated WT-BAC mice, mice was markedly diminished with respect to controls (Fig- treated Mut-BAC mice did not have GFP-positive cells up- ure 3A), and quantitation showed a significantly lower Akr1b7 stream of the arterioles distant from the glomeruli (Figure JGA index (Figure 3B). The decrease in the number of JGAs 1D). Quantification of the immunostaining results showed expressing Akr1b7 in the cKO mice was accompanied by a re- that the JGA index for GFP was significantly lower in treated duction in Akr1b7 mRNA expression to the same level as renin 68 Journal of the American Society of Nephrology J Am Soc Nephrol 26: 67–80, 2015 www.jasn.org BASIC RESEARCH Figure 1. RBP-J regulates the renin promoter in vivo. Mutation of the RBP-J site in the renin promoter diminishes GFP expression, a surrogate of renin expression.