Expression of rab11a N124I in gastric parietal cells inhibits stimulatory recruitment of the H+-K+-ATPase.

Stimulation of the gastric parietal cell results in a massive redistribution of H+-K+-ATPase from cytoplasmic tubulovesicles to the apical plasma membrane. Previous studies have implicated the small GTPase rab11 in this process. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry, we confirmed that rab11 is associated with H+-K+-ATPase-enriched gastric microsomes. A stoichiometry of one rab11 per six copies of H+-K+-ATPase was estimated. Furthermore, rab11 exists in at least three forms on rabbit gastric microsomes: the two most prominent resemble rab11a, whereas the third resembles rab11b. Using an adenoviral expression system, we expressed the dominant negative mutant rab11a N124I in primary cultures of rabbit parietal cells under the control of the tetracycline transactivator protein (tTA). The mutant was well expressed with a distribution similar to that of the H+-K+-ATPase. Stimulation of these cultures with histamine and IBMX was assessed by measuring the aminopyrine (AP) uptake relative to resting cells (AP index). In experiments on six culture preparations, stimulated uninfected cells gave an AP index of 10.0 +/- 2.9, whereas parallel cultures expressing rab11a N124I were poorly responsive to stimulation, with a mean AP index of 3.2 +/- 0. 9. Control cultures expressing tTA alone or tTA plus actin responded equally well to stimulation, giving AP index values of 9.0 +/- 3.1 and 9.6 +/- 0.9, respectively. Thus inhibition by rab11a N124I is not simply due to adenoviral infection. The AP uptake data were confirmed by immunocytochemistry. In uninfected cells, H+-K+-ATPase demonstrated a broad cytoplasmic distribution, but it was cleared from the cytoplasm and associated with apically derived membranes on stimulation. In cells expressing rab11a N124I, H+-K+-ATPase maintained its resting localization on stimulation. Furthermore, this effect could be alleviated by culturing infected cells in the presence of tetracycline, which prevents expression of the mutant rab11. We therefore conclude that rab11a is the prominent GTPase associated with gastric microsomes and that it plays a role in parietal cell activation.