Identification, expression, and functional characterization of full-length and splice variants of murine organic...

The family of organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) plays an important role in mediating the cellular uptake of numerous endogenous and exogenous compounds. Members of this family include human OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, which have been widely studied and shown to be involved in the hepatic uptake of hormones, bile acids, and many clinically used drugs. However, little is known about the murine orthologue, Oatp1b2. We determined expression of mouse oatp1b2 mRNA and protein using real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Interestingly, mRNA transcripts and protein were detectable in a number of tissues including kidney and stomach, and, not surprisingly, the highest expression was noted in liver. Cloning of the full coding region of oatp1b2 revealed the presence of two novel splice variants. Interestingly, these splice variants were significantly expressed in organs such as the kidney, but much less in liver. Heterologous expression of the full-length Oatp1b2 cDNA revealed that taurocholic acid, estrone 3-sulfate, estradiol 17beta-glucuronide and pravastatin are substrates of this transporter. The newly identified splice variants were unable to significantly transport substrate compounds due to defects in cell surface trafficking. Our findings of murine Oatp1b2 expression and function will likely aid in better defining species related differences in OATP transporter function and the use of mouse models to predict hepatic drug disposition in humans.