ROLE OF CLASS III PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL 3-KINASE IN THE RENAL PROXIMAL TUBULE

Abstract

Yeast only has a single phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) known as vacuolar protein sorting 34 (VPS34); however, mammals have evolved to express three structurally different classes of PI3Ks: class I, II, and III. Although the class III PI3K (Pik3c3) is the only PI3K evolutionarily conserved from yeast to man, its distribution in the mammalian kidney is unknown, and its role in the renal proximal tubule, especially under certain pathophysiological conditions such as nephron loss-induced Compensatory Nephron Hypertrophy (CNH), remains undefined. The goal of Aim 1 was to define the expression pattern and relevant biological function of Pik3c3 in the kidney. We found that the glomerular podocyte expresses the highest level of Pik3c3 in the kidney. Among all renal tubular cells, the specialized distal convoluted tubular epithelial cells called macula densa cells express the highest level of Pik3c3, and the renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC) express the second highest level of Pik3c3. This prompted us to perform additional experiments for Aim 1 that led to the demonstration of an essential function of Pik3c3 in regulating the degradation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) and the termination of EGFR signaling in RPTC following EGF binding with EGFR. The goal of Aim 2 was to determine whether Pik3c3 is essential in mediating uninephrectomy (UNX)-induced compensatory nephron hypertrophy. We generated a global Pik3c3-hypomorphic mouse model and two slightly different proximal tubule-specific Pik3c3 knockout mouse models: Pik3c3Neo-ptKO and Pik3c3ptKO. Interestingly, CNH was markedly inhibited in the global Pik3c3-hypomorphic mouse model and proximal tubule-specific Pik3c3 knockout models. The goal of Aim 3 was to determine the effect and underlying mechanism of complete Pik3c3 deletion in renal proximal tubule cells. We found that complete Pik3c3 deletion in some renal proximal tubule cells resulting in marked cell death that subsequently progressed to tubulointerstitial fibrosis. My project has, for the first time, determined the expression pattern of Pik3c3 in the kidney and provided the first definitive evidence that Pik3c3 controls the degree of CNH and functions upstream of the mTORC1-S6K1-rpS6 pathway in the regulation of CNH. In addition, my project reveals an essential role of Pik3c3 in maintaining the homeostasis and survival of proximal tubule cells.