Salt stress in the renal tubules is linked to TAL-specific expression of uromodulin and an upregulation of heat shock genes

Previously, our comprehensive cardiovascular characterization study validated Uromodulin as a blood pressure gene. Uromodulin is a glycoprotein exclusively synthesized at the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle and is encoded by the Umod gene. Umod(-/-) mice have significantly lower blood pressure than Umod(+/+) mice, are resistant to salt-induced changes in blood pressure, and show a leftward shift in pressure-natriuresis curves reflecting changes of sodium reabsorption. Salt stress triggers transcription factors and genes that alter renal sodium reabsorption. To date there are no studies on renal transcriptome responses to salt stress. Here we aimed use RNA-Seq to delineate salt stress pathways in tubules isolated from Umod(+/+) mice (a model of sodium retention) and Umod(-/-) mice (a model of sodium depletion) +/- 300 mosmol sodium chloride (n = 3 per group). In response to salt stress, the tubules of Untod(+/+) mice displayed an upregulation of heat shock transcripts. The greatest changes occurred in the expression of: Hspala (Log2 fold change 4.35. P = 2.48 e(-12)) and Hspalb (Log2 fold change 4.05, P = 2.48 e(-12)). This response was absent in tubules of Umod(-/-) mice. Interestingly, seven of the genes discordantly expressed in the Umod(-/-) tubules were electrolyte transporters. Our results are the first to show that salt stress in renal tubules alters the transcriptome, increasing the expression of heat shock genes. This direction of effect in Umod(+/+) tubules suggest the difference is due to the presence of Umod facilitating greater sodium entry into the tubule cell reflecting a specific response to salt stress.