Zona Glomerulosa-Derived Klotho Modulates Aldosterone Synthase Expression in Young Female Mice

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Arezoo Daryadel - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Cong Tang - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Ye Xie - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Mirko Peitzsch - , Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (Author)
  • Viktoria Fisi - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Constanze Hantel - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Dominique Loffing-Cueni - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • David T. Breault - , Harvard University (Author)
  • David Penton - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Johannes Loffing - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Felix Beuschlein - , University of Zurich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, The LOOP Zurich Medical Research Center (Author)

Abstract

Klotho plays a critical role in the regulation of ion and fluid homeostasis. A previous study reported that haplo-insufficiency of Klotho in mice results in increased aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) expression, elevated plasma aldosterone, and high blood pressure. This phenotype was presumed to be the result of diminished Klotho expression in zona glomerulosa (zG) cells of the adrenal cortex; however, systemic effects on adrenal aldosterone production could not be ruled out. To examine whether Klotho expressed in the zG is indeed a critical regulator of aldosterone synthesis, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible, zG-specific mouse model of Klotho deficiency by crossing Klotho-flox mice with Cyp11b2- CreERT mice (zG-Kl-KO). Tamoxifen-treated Cyp11b2-CreERT animals (zG-Cre) served as controls. Rosa26-mTmG reporter mice were used for Cre-dependent lineage-marking. Two weeks after tamoxifen induction, the specificity of the zG-Cre line was verified using immunofluorescence analysis to show that GFP expression was restricted to the zG. RNA in situ hybridization revealed a 65% downregulation of Klotho messenger RNA expression in the zG of zG-Kl-KO female mice at age 12 weeks compared to control mice. Despite this significant decrease, zG-Kl-KO mice exhibited no difference in plasma aldosterone levels. However, adrenal CYP11B2 expression and the CYP11B2 promotor regulatory transcription factors, NGFIB and Nurr1, were enhanced. Together with in vitro experiments, these results suggest that zG-derived Klotho modulates Cyp11b2 but does not evoke a systemic phenotype in young adult mice on a normal diet. Further studies are required to investigate the role of adrenal Klotho on aldosterone synthesis in aged animals.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numberbqae040
JournalEndocrinology (United States)
Volume165
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 38573585

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • aldosterone, Cre-lox system, CYP11B2, Klotho, zona glomerulosa

Library keywords