Photoaffinity labeling of brush-border membrane proteins which bind phosphonoformic acid

Identification and characterization of the Na+/Pi co-transporter in the renal brush-border membrane (BBM) has proved to be difficult in part because of the lack of a specific covalent label. NAD is a competitive inhibitor of Na+/Pi co-transport, and we have explored its potential use as a specific label. We describe the synthesis and use of a highly reactive azido derivative of NAD. This derivative (AB-NAD), like the parent NAD molecule, acts as a competitive inhibitor of Na+/Pi co-transport by isolated BBM vesicles. After photoirradiation, the inhibition changes to noncompetitive, as would be expected if the label was bound covalently. This was confirmed by use of [3H]AB-NAD. Photoirradiation produced a 4-fold increase in acid-stable incorporation of 3H into BBM vesicles compared to controls which were not exposed to light. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed that photoirradiation with [32P]AB-NAD produced labeling of several different protein bands, but almost one-half of the 32P was recovered in two bands corresponding to molecular masses of 97 and 70 kDa. Labeling of these bands was markedly reduced in the presence of Na+ and phosphonoformic acid, a specific inhibitor of Na+/Pi co-transport. Chromatography of solubilized BBM proteins indicated that the protein fraction which is photolabeled by AB-NAD is co-eluted with the protein fraction which exhibits Na(+)-dependent binding of phosphonoformic acid. The 97- and 70-kDa polypeptide bands may contain components of the intact Na+/Pi co-transport system.