Dot1l deficiency leads to increased intercalated cells and upregulation of V-ATPase B1 in mice

• Dot1lAC vs. Dot1lf/f mice have significantly reduced PCs and increased ICs.
• Both α- and β-ICs are significantly increased in Dot1lAC vs. Dot1lf/f mice.
• Dot1l downregulates expression of V-ATPase B1.
• Dot1l and H3m2K79 bind the promoter of Atp6v1b1.
• Atp6v1b1 is a new Dot1a target gene for transcriptional regulation.

The collecting duct in the mammalian kidney consists of principal cells (PCs) and intercalated cells (ICs), which regulate electrolyte/fluid and acid/base balance, respectively. The epigenetic regulators of PC and IC differentiation remain obscure. We previously used Aqp2 and V-ATPase B1B2 to label PCs and ICs, respectively. We found that mice with histone H3 K79 methyltransferase Dot1l disrupted in Aqp2-expressing cells (Dot1lAC) vs. Dot1lf/f possessed ~20% more ICs coupled with a similar decrease in PCs. Here, we performed multiple double immunofluorescence staining using various PC and IC markers and confirmed that this finding. Both α-IC and β-IC populations were significantly expanded in Dot1lAC vs. Dot1lf/f. These changes are associated with significantly upregulated V-ATPase B1 and B2, but not Aqp2, AE1, and Pendrin. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay unveiled a significant reduction of Dot1l and H3K79 di-methylation bound at the Atp6v1b1 5′ flanking region. Overexpression of Dot1a significantly downregulated a stably-transfected luciferase reporter driven by the Atp6v1b1 promoter in IMCD3 cells. This downregulation was impaired, but not completely abolished when a methyltransferase-dead mutant was overexpressed. Taken together, our data suggest that Dot1l is a new epigenetic regulator of PC and IC differentiation and Atp6v1b1 is a new transcriptional target of Dot1l.