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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Culturing Primary Rat Inner Medullary Collecting Duct Cells
Published on: June 21, 2013
LRBA organizes distinct vesicular trafficking systems in distal nephron segments for water and sodium conservation
Kanako Nagaoka1, Fumiaki Ando1, Tamami Fujiki1
1Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
Abstract:
Lipopolysaccharide-responsive and beige-like anchor protein (LRBA) deficiency is a rare genetic disorder characterized by immune dysregulation. The immune checkpoint molecule cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) fails to perform proper membrane trafficking in the absence of LRBA. In addition to immune cells, LRBA localizes to intracellular vesicles in various epithelial cells; however, its physiological roles have not been accurately deciphered. It was observed in this study that LRBA facilitates water and sodium transport by promoting vesicular trafficking of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and AQP4 in renal collecting duct cells and that of sterile 20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) in distal convoluted tubule cells. Consequently, Lrba knockout mice exhibited vasopressin-resistant polyuria and hypotension under sodium-restricted conditions. This registry study revealed a polyuric phenotype in a subset of patients with LRBA deficiency, characterized by inappropriately low urine specific gravity despite the presence of chronic diarrhea. Notably, desmopressin treatment ameliorated impaired urinary concentration in a mouse model of human LRBA deficiency. LRBA functions as a central coordinator of fluid and sodium homeostasis by organizing segment-specific vesicular trafficking systems in renal epithelial cells.
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