Pendrin immunoreactivity in the gill epithelium of a euryhaline elasmobranch

Pendrin is an anion exchanger in the cortical collecting duct of the mammalian nephron that appears to mediate apical Cl-/HCO3- exchange in bicarbonate-secreting intercalated cells. The goals of this study were to determine 1) if pendrin immunoreactivity was present in the gills of a euryhaline elasmobranch (Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina), and 2) if branchial pendrin immunoreactivity was influenced by environmental salinity. Immunoblots detected pendrin immunoreactivity in Atlantic stingray gills; pendrin immunoreactivity was greatest in freshwater stingrays compared with freshwater stingrays acclimated to seawater (seawater acclimated) and marine stingrays. Using immunohistochemistry, pendrin-positive cells were detected on both gill lamellae and interlamellar regions of freshwater stingrays but were more restricted to interlamellar regions in seawater-acclimated and marine stingray gills. Pendrin immunolabeling in freshwater stingray gills was more apical, discrete, and intense compared with seawater-acclimated and marine stingrays. Regardless of salinity, pendrin immunoreactivity occurred on the apical region of cells rich with basolateral vacuolar-proton-ATPase, and not in Na+-K+-ATPase- rich cells. We suggest that a pendrin-like transporter may contribute to apical Cl-/HCO3- exchange in gills of Atlantic stingrays from both freshwater and marine environments.