The CFTR associated protein CAP70 interacts with the apical Cl-/HCO3- exchanger DRA in rabbit small intestinal mucosa.

DRA (down regulated in adenoma) is an intestinal anion exchanger, acting in parallel with NHE3 to facilitate ileal and colonic NaCl absorption. Furthermore it is involved in small intestinal bicarbonate secretion. Because DRA has a PDZ interaction motif, which may influence its properties, we searched for DRA-interacting PDZ adapter proteins in the small intestine. Using an overlay assay with the recombinant DRA C-terminus as a ligand, a 70 kDa protein was labeled, which was restricted to the brush border membrane in rabbit duodenal and ileal mucosa and was not detected in the colon. Destruction of the C-terminal PDZ interaction motif abolished this band, suggesting a specific protein-prote…