Overexpression of r domain eliminates camp stimulated chloride secretion in 9/hteo-cells in culture. Perez, Aura, Kimberly A. Risma, Elizabeth A. Eckman, and Pamela B. Davis. Departments of Pediatrics, and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, Cleveland, OH 44106
APStracts 3:0031L, 1996.
The intracellular hydrophilic region of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the R domain, has been postulated to be a regulator of the Cl- channel: under basal conditions R blocks the channel, but when phosphorylated, R undergoes conformational change to open the channel. Overexpression of R in 9/HTEo- cells, a human tracheal epithelial cell line with cAMP -regulated Cl- conductance due to CFTR, caused reduced basal Cl- conductance and elimination of its response to isoproterenol, but ionomycin-stimulated Cl- efflux was preserved. Cells which overexpressed R showed no downregulation of endogenous CFTR mRNA, and had normal cAMP production and PKA activity, so R did not act at these levels. Although the precise mechanism by which R affects CFTR conductance is undetermined, these cell lines could be useful in separating the cell biologic consequences of impaired Cl- transport from those of mutant CFTR, per se.

Received 21 June 1994; accepted in final form 12 February 1996.
APS Manuscript Number L183-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Lung Cell. Mol.
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 13 March 96