Salt, sodium channels, and SGK1

Abstract

The hormone aldosterone increases extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure by activating epithelial Na⁺ channels (ENaCs). Serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1) is an aldosterone-stimulated signaling molecule that enhances distal nephron Na⁺ transport, in part by preventing the internalization of ENaCs from the plasma membrane. In this issue of the JCI, Zhang et al. demonstrate that SGK1 enhances transcription of the α subunit of ENaC by preventing histone methylation, providing an additional mechanism by which SGK1 increases ENaC-mediated Na⁺ transport in the distal nephron (see the related article beginning on page 773).