A hyperosmotic stress-induced mRNA of carp cell encodes Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent high affinity taurine transporter.

A cDNA clone encoding a Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent high affinity taurine transporter was isolated from a common carp cell line, Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC), as a hyperosmotic stress-inducible gene by RNA arbitrarily primed PCR. The clone contained a 2.5-kb cDNA fragment including an open reading frame of 1878 bp encoding a protein of 625 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of carp taurine transporter shows 78-80% identity to those of cloned mammalian taurine transporters. The functional characteristics of the cloned transporter were analyzed by expression in COS-7 cells. Transfection with the cDNA induced Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent taurine transport activity with an apparent K(m) of 56 microM. The Na(+)/Cl(-)hepatopancreas. Taurine transporter mRNA level increased up to 7.5-fold on raising the ambient osmolality from 300 to 450 mosmol/kgH(2)O. These data suggest the significant role of taurine as an osmolyte in carp cells.