Kinetic studies of sulfate transport in basolateral membrane vesicles from rat renal cortex

The kinetics of sulfate uptake were studied in basolateral membrane vesicles from rat renal cortex. Sulfate uptake exhibits a DIDS-sensitive, saturable component, and a DIDS-insensitive component, which does not saturate in the tested sulfate concentration range (up to 10 mM). Intravesicular (= trans) sulfate strongly stimulates sulfate uptake by increasing Jmax and--to a lesser degree--by decreasing apparent Km. The marked dependence of Jmax on trans-sulfate indicates that the transport system operates as an anion exchanger. Half-maximal sulfate uptake occurs at 0.08-0.14 mmol/l extravesicular sulfate. Half-maximal trans-stimulation is observed at 11 mmol/l intravesicular sulfate indicating that the sulfate transporter is highly asymmetric. Lowering extravesicular pH stimulates sulfate uptake, suggesting that external protons are essential for sulfate uptake. This stimulation is mainly due to a decrease in Km. An inside positive membrane potential stimulates sulfate uptake at pHout = 8.8, but not at pHout = 6.4. These results are compatible with electrogenic sulfate transport at higher and electroneutral 2H+ -SO4(2-) cotransport at lower pH.