Background/Aims: OSR1 (oxidative-stress-responsive kinase 1) participates in the regulation of renal tubular ion transport, cell volume and blood pressure. Whether OSR1 contributes to the regulation of organic solute transport remained; however, elusive. The present study thus explored the OSR1 sensitivity of the peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2. Methods: cRNA encoding PEPT1 or PEPT2 were injected into Xenopus oocytes without or with additional injection of cRNA encoding wild-type OSR1, WNK1 insensitive inactive <sup>T185A</sup>OSR1, constitutively active <sup>T185E</sup>OSR1, and catalytically inactive <sup>D164A</sup>OSR1. Electrogenic peptide (glycine-glycine) transport was determined by dual electrode voltage clamp, the abundance of hemagglutinin-tagged PEPT2 (PEPT2-HA) by chemiluminescence. Results: In Xenopus oocytes injected with cRNA encoding PEPT1 or PEPT2, but not in oocytes injected with water, the dipeptide gly-gly (2 mM) generated an appreciable inward current (I<sub>gly-gly</sub>). Coexpression of OSR1 significantly decreased I<sub>gly-gly</sub> in both PEPT1 and PEPT2 expressing oocytes. The effect of OSR1 coexpression on I<sub>gly-gly</sub> in PEPT1 expressing oocytes was mimicked by coexpression of <sup>T185E</sup>OSR1, but not of <sup>D164A</sup>OSR1 or <sup>T185A</sup>OSR1. Kinetic analysis revealed that coexpression of OSR1 decreased maximal I<sub>gly-gly</sub>. OSR1 further decreased the PEPT2-HA protein abundance in the cell membrane. Conclusion: OSR1 has the capacity to downregulate the peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2 by decreasing the carrier protein abundance in the cell membrane.
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