Phenotypic studies of the NaSi-1 transporter knock-out mouse

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/401687

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Sulfate is an essential nutrient for cell growth and survival. Despite this, sulfate levels are rarely measured clinically and very little is known about the consequences of disturbed blood sulfate levels.The human kidneys regulate sulfate levels in the body, by mechanisms that are not fully characterised. Our laboratory has isolated a gene (Nas1) from humans and mice, which encodes a protein involved in sulfate absorption from the diet. Nas1 also controls sulfate excretion into the urine, by regulating kidney reabsorption. Normally, very little sulfate is lost in the urine. However, individuals with autism, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, motor neurone disease and liver cirrhosis, have been reported to have reduced blood sulfate levels. The mechanisms underlying the low blood sulfate levels in these disorders, have not been characterised. Recently, we generated a mouse lacking the Nas1 gene. This mouse has very low blood sulfate levels and suffers from growth retardation, reduced fertility and displays seizures. In this study, we plan to investigate these phenomena in the Nas1 knock out mouse and determine the role of low blood sulfate levels on these conditions. We also plan to characterise the role of low blood sulfate levels on the expression of genes in various body organs, using a gene array approach. In addition, we plan to study wound repair and the detoxification process in our Nas1 knock out mouse, which we expect to be affected due to low blood sulfate levels. These studies will establish the roles sulfate plays in mammalian physiology and will provide a foundation for studying diseases that are associated with changes in blood sulfate levels.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $268,264.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical Physiology not elsewhere classified

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

hyposulphataemia | ion transport defect | membrane transport | murine model | pathophysiology | sulfate homeostasis | sulfate metabolism disorder | sulfate reabsorption | sulfation

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