Disrupted in renal carcinoma 2 (DIRC2/SLC49A4) is an H(+)-driven lysosomal pyridoxine exporter

Disrupted in renal carcinoma 2 (DIRC2) has gained interest because of its association with the development of renal cancer and cosegregation with a chromosomal translocation. It is a member of the SLC49 family (SLC49A4) and is considered to be an electrogenic lysosomal metabolite transporter; however, its molecular function has not been fully defined. To perform a detailed functional analysis of human DIRC2, we used a recombinant DIRC2 protein (DIRC2-AA), in which the N-terminal dileucine motif involved in its lysosomal localization was removed by replacing with dialanine for redirected localization to the plasma membrane, exposing intralysosomal segments to the extracellular space. The DIRC2-AA mutant induced the cellular uptake of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) under acidic conditions when expressed transiently in COS-7 cells. In addition, uptake was markedly inhibited by protonophores, indicating its function through an H(+)-coupled mechanism. In separate experiments, the transient overexpression of unmodified DIRC2 (tagged with HA) in human embryonic kidney 293 cells reduced cellular pyridoxine accumulation induced by transiently introduced human thiamine transporter 2/SLC19A3 (tagged with FLAG), a plasma membrane thiamine transporter that also transports pyridoxine. The cellular accumulation of pyridoxine in Caco-2 cells as a cell model was increased by the knockdown of endogenous DIRC2. Overall, the results indicate that DIRC2 is an H(+)-driven lysosomal pyridoxine exporter. Its overexpression leads to a reduction in cellular pyridoxine accumulation associated with reduced lysosomal accumulation and, conversely, its suppression results in an increase in lysosomal and cellular pyridoxine accumulation.