The ␥ subunit of the Na,K-ATPase, a 7-kDa single-span membrane protein, is a member of the FXYD gene family. Several FXYD proteins have been shown to bind to Na,K-ATPase and modulate its properties, and each FXYD protein appears to alter enzyme kinetics differently. Different results have sometimes been obtained with different experimental systems, however. To test for effects of ␥ in a native tissue environment, mice lacking a functional ␥ subunit gene (Fxyd2) were generated. These mice were viable and without observable pathology. Prior work in the mouse embryo showed that ␥ is expressed at the blastocyst stage. However, there was no delay in blastocele formation, and the expected Mendelian ratios of offspring were obtained even with Fxyd2 ؊/؊ dams. In adult Fxyd2 ؊/؊ mouse kidney, splice variants of ␥ that have different nephron segment-specific expression patterns were absent. Purified ␥-deficient renal Na,K-ATPase displayed higher apparent affinity for Na ؉ without significant change in apparent affinity for K ؉ . Affinity for ATP, which was expected to be decreased, was instead slightly increased. The results suggest that regulation of Na ؉ sensitivity is a major functional role for this protein, whereas regulation of ATP affinity may be context-specific. Most importantly, this implies that ␥ and other FXYD proteins have their effects by local and not global conformation change. Na,K-ATPase lacking the ␥ subunit had increased thermal lability. Combined with other evidence that ␥ participates in an early step of thermal denaturation, this indicates that FXYD proteins may play an important structural role in the enzyme complex.

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The sodium/potassium pump, Na+,K+-ATPase, is generally understood to function as a heterodimer of two subunits, a catalytic α subunit and a noncatalytic, glycosylated β subunit. Recently, a putative third subunit, the γ subunit, was cloned. This small protein (6.5 kD) coimmunoprecipitates with the α and β subunits and is closely associated with the ouabain binding site on the holoenzyme, but its function is unknown. We have investigated the expression of the γ subunit in preimplantation mouse development, where Na+,K+-ATPase plays a critical role as the driving force for blastocoel formation (cavitation). Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated that the γ subunit mRNA accumulates continuously from the eight-cell stage onward and that it cosediments with polyribosomes from its time of first appearance. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the γ subunit itself accumulates and is localized at the blastomere surfaces up to the blastocyst stage. In contrast with the α and β subunits, the γ subunit is not concentrated in the basolateral surface of the polarized trophectoderm layer, but is strongly expressed at the apical surface as well. When embryos were treated with antisense oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to the γ subunit mRNA, ouabain-sensitive K+ transport (as indicated by 86Rb+ uptake) was reduced and cavitation delayed. However, Na+,K+-ATPase enzymatic activity was unaffected as determined by a direct phosphorylation assay (“back door” phosphorylation) applied to plasma membrane preparations. These results indicate that the γ subunit, although not an integral component of Na+,K+-ATPase, is an important determinant of active cation transport and that, as such, its embryonic expression is essential for blastocoel formation in the mouse.

Na(+),K(+)-ATPase plays an essential role in mammalian blastocoel formation (cavitation) by driving trans-epithelial sodium transport. Previously, the alpha1 and beta1 subunit isoforms of this enzyme were identified in preimplantation mouse embryos and were assumed to be responsible for this function. Here we show that mRNAs encoding an additional alpha subunit isoform (alpha3) and the remaining two beta subunit isoforms are also present in preimplantation embryos. Whereas alpha3 mRNA accumulates between the four-cell and the blastocyst stages and thus results from embryonic transcription, the same could not be demonstrated for beta2 and beta3 mRNAs. Immunoblot analyses confirmed that these subunits are present in cavitating embryos. Using confocal immunofluorescence microscopy we found that alpha1 and beta1 subunits are concentrated in the basolateral membranes of the trophectoderm while being equally distributed in plasma membranes of the inner cell mass. In contrast, alpha3, beta2, and beta3 subunits were not detected in plasma membranes. Our current assessment, therefore, is that as many as six isozymes of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase could be involved in preimplantation development although it is primarily the alpha1beta1 isozyme that is responsible for blastocoel formation. Our findings imply that the regulation of sodium transport within the preimplantation mouse embryo is more complex than had been appreciated.