Identification of a mammalian silicon transporter

Ratcliffe, Sarah, Jugdaohsingh, Ravin, Vivancos, Julien, Marron, Alan, Deshmukh, Rupesh, Feng Ma, Jian, Mitani-Ueno, Namiki, Robertson, Jack, Wills, John, Boekschoten, Mark V, Muller, Michael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5930-9905, Mawhinney, Robert C, Kinrade, Stephen D, Isenring, Paul, Bélanger, Richard R and Powell, Jonathan (2017) Identification of a mammalian silicon transporter. American Journal of Physiology, 312 (5). C550-C561. ISSN 0002-9513

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Abstract

Silicon (Si) has long been known to play a major physiological and structural role in certain organisms, including diatoms, sponges, and many higher plants, leading to the recent identification of multiple proteins responsible for Si transport in a range of algal and plant species. In mammals, despite several convincing studies suggesting that silicon is an important factor in bone development and connective tissue health, there is a critical lack of understanding about the biochemical pathways that enable Si homeostasis. Here we report the identification of a mammalian efflux Si transporter, namely Slc34a2 (also termed NaPiIIb) a known sodium-phosphate co-transporter, which was upregulated in rat kidney following chronic dietary Si deprivation. Normal rat renal epithelium demonstrated punctate expression of Slc34a2 and when the protein was heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Si efflux activity (i.e. movement of Si out of cells) was induced and was quantitatively similar to that induced by the known plant Si transporter OsLsi2 in the same expression system. Interestingly, Si efflux appeared saturable over time, but it did not vary as a function of extracellular HPO4 2- or Na+ 43 concentration, suggesting that Slc34a2 harbors a functionally independent transport site for Si operating in the reverse direction to the site for phosphate. Indeed, in rats with dietary Si depletion-induced upregulation of transporter expression, there was increased urinary phosphate excretion. This is the first evidence of an active Si transport protein in mammals and points towards an important role for Si in vertebrates and explains interactions between dietary phosphate and silicon.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	silicon,transport,slc34a2,xenopus laevis oocytes, rat kidneys
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Gastroenterology and Gut Biology Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	07 Feb 2017 02:40
Last Modified:	06 Jun 2024 14:57
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/62335
DOI:	10.1152/ajpcell.00219.2015

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