Protein kinase A anchoring proteins are required for vasopressin-mediated translocation of aquaporin-2 into cell membranes of renal principal cells.

The antidiuretic hormone arginine-vasopressin (AVP) regulates water reabsorption in renal collecting duct principal cells by inducing a cAMP-dependent translocation of water channels (aquaporin-2, AQP-2) from intracellular vesicles into the apical cell membranes. In subcellular fractions from primary cultured rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells, enriched for intracellular AQP-2-bearing vesicles, catalytic protein kinase A (PKA) subunits and several protein kinase A anchoring proteins (AKAPs) were detected. In nonstimulated IMCD cells the majority of AQP-2 staining was detected intracellularly but became mainly localized within the cell membrane after stimulation with AVP or forskolin. Quantitative analysis revealed that preincubation of the cells with the synthetic peptide S-Ht31, which prevents the binding between AKAPs and regulatory subunits of PKA, strongly inhibited AQP-2 translocation in response to forskolin. Preincubation of the cells with the PKA inhibitor H89 prior to forskolin stimulation abolished AQP-2 translocation. In contrast to H89, S-Ht31 did not affect the catalytic activity of PKA. These data demonstrate that not only the activity of PKA, but also its tethering to subcellular compartments, are prerequisites for cAMP-dependent AQP-2 translocation.