Association of with-no-lysine kinase 1 and Serine/Threonine kinase 39 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with essential hypertension in Tibetans
ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS
Authors: Shi, Rufeng; Li, Jiangbo; He, Jiyun; Meng, Qingtao; Qian, Zhiping; Shi, Di; Liu, Qi; Cai, Yali; Li, Xinran; Chen, Xiaoping
Abstract
Tibetans have a higher essential hypertension prevalence compared with other ethnics in China. The reason might be due to their unique environmental influence, as well as genetic factor. However, limited studies focus on Tibetan genetics and its association with hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between With-No-Lysine (K) Kinase 1 (WNK1), Serine/Threonine kinase 39(STK39) genes variants and hypertension in the Tibetan population. 204 Tibetan hypertensive patients and 305 normotensive controls were recruited in an epidemiological survey conducted at 2 sites in the Ganzi Tibetan autonomous region. Patients were genotyped for nineteen WNK1 candidate tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and three STK39 SNPs, and haplotype analysis was performed. Results showed that the allele A in rs1468326 was overrepresented in hypertensive patients versus control (53.4% vs 42.9%, P<0.05). The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for hypertension among CA+AA genotypes carriers was 1.60 (95% CI: 1.02-2.62, P<0.05), and they also had a higher systolic blood pressure (136.5 +/- 28.6 vs 131.7 +/- 24.8 mmHg, P<0.05). However, the TT genotype ratio in rs6749447 was lower in hypertensives (5.4% vs 10.8%, P<0.05), and the hypertension risk for the TT genotype carriers in rs6749447 decreased after adjustment (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.19-0.95, P<0.05). Subjects with haplotype AGACAGGAATCGT showed 1.57 times higher risk of hypertension (95% CI 1.02-2.41, P<0.05). In conclusion, SNP rs1468326 of WNK1, rs6749447 of STK39, and WNK1 haplotype AGACAGGAATCGT were associated with hypertension in Tibetan individuals. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:151-160, 2018. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intersectin links WNK kinases to endocytosis of ROMK1
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: He, Guocheng; Wang, Hao-Ran; Huang, Shao-Kuei; Huang, Chou-Long
Abstract
With-no-lysine (WNK) kinases are a novel family of protein kinases characterized by an atypical placement of the catalytic lysine. Mutations of 2 family members, WNK1 and WNK4, cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type 2 (PHA2), an autosomal-dominant disease characterized by hypertension and hyperkalemia. WNK1 and WNK4 stimulate clathrin-dependent endocytosis of renal outer medullar potassium 1 (ROMK1), and PHA2-causing mutations of WNK4 increase the endocytosis. How WNKs stimulate endocytosis of ROMK1 and how mutations of WNK4 increase the endocytosis are unknown. Intersectin (ITSN) is a multimodular endocytic scaffold protein. Here we show that WNK1 and WNK4 interacted with ITSN and that the interactions were crucial for stimulation of endocytosis of ROMK1 by WNKs. The stimulation of endocytosis of ROMK1 by WNK1 and WNK4 required specific proline-rich motifs of WNKs, but did not require their kinase activity. WNK4 interacted with ROMK1 as well as with ITSN. Disease-causing WNK4 mutations enhanced interactions of WNK4 with ITSN and ROMK1, leading to increased endocytosis of ROMK1. These results provide a molecular mechanism for stimulation of endocytosis of ROMK1 by WNK kinases.