Ghimire, S., Terhzaz, S. , Cabrero, P. , Romero, M. F., Davies, S. and Dow, J. A.T. (2019) Targeted renal knockdown of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor Sip1 produces uric acid nephrolithiasis in Drosophila. American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology, 317(4), F930-F940. (doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00551.2018) (PMID:31364377) (PMCID:PMC6843049)
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Abstract
Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common kidney diseases with poorly understood pathophysiology, but experimental study has been hindered by lack of experimentally tractable models. Drosophilamelanogaster is a useful model organism for renal diseases because of genetic and functional similarities of Malpighian (renal) tubules with the human kidney. Here, we demonstrate the function of Sip1 (SRY-interacting protein 1) gene, an orthologue of human NHERF1 in Drosophila MTs, and its impact on nephrolithiasis. Abundant birefringent calculi were observed in Sip1 mutant flies, and the phenotype was also observed in renal stellate cell-specific RNAi Sip1 knockdowns in otherwise normal flies, confirming a renal aetiology. This phenotype was abolished in rosy flies (which model human xanthinuria) and by the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, suggesting that the calculi were of uric acid. This was confirmed by direct assay for urate. Stones rapidly dissolved when the tubule was bathed in alkaline media, suggesting that Sip1 knockdown was acidifying the tubule. SIP1 was shown to co-locate with Na+/H+ exchanger NHE2, and with moesin, in stellate cells; and so a model was developed in which Sip1 normally regulates NHE2 activity and thus luminal pH. Drosophila renal tubule thus offers a useful model for urate nephrolithiasis.
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