Co- and counter-transport mechanisms in brush border membranes and basal-lateral membranes of intestine and kidney

One way to obtain a deeper understanding of the complex function of the small intestinal and renal proximal tubular epithelium is to dissect it into single components and then, having defined the components under well-controlled conditions, try to describe the behaviour of the whole system on the basis of the properties of the single components. Brush border and basal-lateral membranes can be isolated by different methods, including free flow electrophoresis, differential and gradient centrifugation. Transport can be analysed in vesiculated membrane fractions by tracer techniques and spectrophotometric techniques. Different sodium-solute co-transport mechanisms were identified in the brush border membrane. Until now, studies with vesicles failed to document a sodium-chloride co-transport mechanism satisfactorily. On the other hand, a sodium/proton and a chloride/hydroxyl exchange mechanism were documented. These two exchange mechanisms could represent partial reactions of the postulated electroneutral sodium-chloride co-transport. In addition to different sodium-independent transport systems, the basal-lateral membrane contains an ATP-driven transport system for calcium as well as a sodium/calcium exchange mechanism. Studies with membrane vesicles isolated from animals which have been exposed to different dietary conditions or in which the parathyroid hormone or 1.25(OH)2VitD3 level has been altered show altered transport of calcium and inorganic phosphate. Thereby, it might be possible to identify the biochemical mechanisms involved in transport regulation.