Cloning and expression of the beta- and gamma-subunits of the human epithelial sodium channel

F. J. McDonald, M. P. Price, P. M. Snyder and M. J. Welsh Department of Internal Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA. Amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels are an important component of the Na+ reabsorption pathway in a number of epithelia. Here we report the cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding two subunits of the human kidney epithelial Na+ channel (beta- and gamma-hENaC). Their predicted amino acid sequences were highly homologous (83-85% identical) to the corresponding subunits reported from rat colon (beta- and gamma-rENaC). Both beta- and gamma-hENaC mapped to human chromosome 16. Northern blot analysis showed high expression of beta- and gamma-hENaC in kidney and lung and differential expression of the three subunits in other tissues. Coexpression of beta- and gamma-hENaC with alpha-hENaC in Xenopus oocytes produced Na+ channels with high selectivity for Na+ and high sensitivity to amiloride. In addition, human subunits were able to substitute for the corresponding rat subunits in forming functional Na+ channels, suggesting conservation of function and suggesting that differences in sequence do not disrupt interactions between subunits. These results suggest that human alpha-, beta-, and gamma-ENaC together form Na+ channels with properties that are similar to those observed in epithelia, and will allow further investigation into the role that these channels may play in human disease.