Purification and characterization of the amiloride-sensitive sodium channel from A6 cultured cells and bovine renal papilla.

Abstract
The amiloride-binding Na+ channel protein of high electrical resistance epithelia was solubilized and purified from cultured A6 toad kidney cells and bovine renal papilla. Purification was assessed by enrichment in [3H]methylbromoamiloride specific binding. Chromatography of 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS)-solubilized plasma membrane vesicles on agarose immobilized wheat-germ agglutinin provided a 130-fold enrichment of the amiloride-binding component compared to the cell homogenate. Further purification was achieved by either amiloride-affinity chromatography or size-exclusion HPLC. When the HPLC and amiloride affinity-purified material was injected into a second higher molecular weight exclusion HPLC column, only a single peak with Mr 800,000 material at low ionic strength resolved two peaks with apparent Mrs 800,000 and 700,000. Only the 700-kDa component displayed specific [3H]methylbromoamiloride binding activity. The final binding specific activity achieved was 1300 pmol/mg of protein, corresponding to 91% homogeneity of the protein.