Extrarenal phenotypes of the UT-B knockout mouse

Subcell Biochem. 2014:73:153-64. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-9343-8_10.

Abstract

The urea transporter UT-B is expressed in multiple tissues including erythrocytes, kidney, brain, heart, liver, colon, bone marrow, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, bladder, prostate, and testis in mammals. Phenotype analysis of UT-B-null mice has confirmed that UT-B deletion results in a urea-selective urine-concentrating defect (see Chap. 9 ). The functional significance of UT-B in extrarenal tissues studied in the UT-B-null mouse is discussed in this chapter. UT-B-null mice present depression-like behavior with urea accumulation and nitric oxide reduction in the hippocampus. UT-B deletion causes a cardiac conduction defect, and TNNT2 and ANP expression changes in the aged UT-B-null heart. UT-B also plays a very important role in protecting bladder urothelium from DNA damage and apoptosis by regulating the urea concentration in urothelial cells. UT-B functional deficiency results in urea accumulation in the testis and early maturation of the male reproductive system. These results show that UT-B is an indispensable transporter involved in maintaining physiological functions in different tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / genetics
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Biological Transport / genetics
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brugada Syndrome
  • Cardiac Conduction System Disease
  • Heart Conduction System / abnormalities
  • Heart Conduction System / metabolism
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Models, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Urea / metabolism*
  • Urinary Bladder / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder / pathology

Substances

  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • urea transporter B, mouse
  • Urea