V-Type ATPase Mediates Airway Surface Liquid Acidification in Pig Small Airway Epithelial Cells.

In a newborn pig cystic fibrosis (CF) model, the ability of gland-containing airways to fight infection was affected by at least two major host-defense defects: impaired mucociliary transport and a lower airway surface liquid (ASL) pH. In the gland-containing airways, the ASL pH is balanced by CFTR (CF transmembrane conductance regulator) and ATP12A, which, respectively, control HCO transport and proton secretion. We found that, although porcine small airway tissue expressed lower amounts of ATP12A, the ASL of epithelial cultures from CF distal small airways (diameter < 200 μm) were nevertheless more acidic (compared with non-CF airways). Therefore, we hypothesized that gland-containing airways and small airways control acidification using distinct mechanisms. Our microarray data suggested that small airway epithelia mediate proton secretion via ATP6V0D2, an isoform of the V0 d subunit of the H-translocating plasma membrane V-type ATPase. Immunofluorescence of small airways verified the expression of the V0 d2 subunit isoform at the apical surface of Muc5B secretory cells, but not ciliated cells. Inhibiting the V-type ATPase with bafilomycin A1 elevated the ASL pH of small airway cultures, in the presence or absence of HCO, and decreased ASL viscosity. These data suggest that, unlike large airways, which are acidified by ATP12A activity, small airways are acidified by V-type ATPase, thus identifying V-type ATPase as a novel therapeutic target for small airway diseases.