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Abstract

4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) was tested as an inhibitor of the sulfate transport systems in rat renal brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles. Na⁺-driven sulfate uptake into brush border membrane vesicles was half-maximally inhibited at 350 microM DIDS. Proton gradient-driven sulfate uptake into basolateral membrane vesicles was competitively inhibited by DIDS with a K_i of 2.4 microM. The K_m for delta pH-driven sulfate uptake was 5.4 microM. The different affinities of the sulfate transport systems for DIDS correlated with different substrate specificities. The luminal transport system accepted a smaller range of anions than the contraluminal system and did not operate as a Na⁺-independent anion exchanger. After treatment of basolateral membrane vesicles with 50 microM DIDS at pH 8.4 for 30 min, an irreversible inhibition of sulfate uptake was observed. With brush border membranes, only a small irreversible inhibition was obtained. Lack of inhibition after treatment of basolateral membranes with DIDS at pH 6.4 indicated that DIDS reacted with deprotonated amino groups of the transport protein. Sulfate was protected from the irreversible inhibition by DIDS. Sodium-driven uptake of L-glutamate and methylsuccinate into basolateral membrane vesicles was not irreversibly inhibited by DIDS, indicating a specific action of DIDS on the contraluminal sulfate transport system. Irreversible and substrate-protectable inhibition of sulfate transport render DIDS suitable for future affinity labeling studies on the sulfate transport system in basolateral membranes.