Asymmetry of the Na+-succinate cotransporter in rabbit renal brush-border membranes.

We have investigated the symmetry of Na+-succinate cotransport in rabbit renal brush-border membrane vesicles. Succinate influx and efflux kinetics were measured under voltage-clamped conditions using [14C]succinate and a rapid filtration procedure. Both influx and efflux were Na+-dependent, saturable, temperature-sensitive, and influenced by the trans Na+ and succinate concentrations. The system was judged to be asymmetric, since the maximal velocity for influx was 3-fold higher than that for efflux, and trans Na+ inhibited influx more than efflux. This may be due to the asymmetrical insertion of the transporter in the brush-border membrane, which leads to differences in either the forward and backward translocation rates of the fully loaded carrier or the Na+ and succinate binding constants at the inner and outer faces of the membrane.