Isolation and characterization of CA XIV, a novel membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase from mouse kidney

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in various physiological processes such as acid-base balance and transport of carbon dioxide and ions. In this study, we have succeeded in the isolation of a novel CA from the mouse kidney by use of the signal sequence trap method. It is a 337-amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 37.5 kDa, consisting of a putative amino-terminal signal sequence, a CA domain, a transmembrane domain, and a short hydrophilic carboxyl terminus, which we designated CA XIV. The CA domain of CA XIV is highly homologous with those of known CAs, especially extracellular CAs including CA XII, IX, VI, and IV. The expression study of an epitope-tagged protein has suggested that CA XIV is located on the plasma membrane. When expressed in COS-7 cells, CA XIV exhibits CA activity that is predominantly associated with the membrane fraction. By Northern blot analysis, the gene expression of CA XIV is most abundant in the kidney and heart, followed by the skeletal muscle, brain, lung, and liver. In situ hybridization has revealed that, in the kidney, the gene is expressed intensely in the proximal convoluted tubule, which is the major segment for bicarbonate reabsorption and also in the outer border of the inner stripe of the outer medulla. In conclusion, we have cloned a functional cDNA encoding a novel membrane-bound CA. This study will bring new insights into our understanding of carbon dioxide metabolism and acid-base balance.