Regulation of phosphaturic hormones by dietary potassium

The activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is altered by dietary intakes of sodium (Na) or potassium (K), which ultimately influences renal Na and K reabsorption or secretion, volume homeostasis and blood pressure (BP). In addition, there is emerging evidence that alterations in dietary Na and K intake affect phosphate (Pi) and calcium (Ca) balance, which influences cardiovascular and bone health. Increased dietary Na leads to adverse cardiovascular and bone mineral density (BMD) outcomes, whereas an increase in dietary K improves BMD. The molecular mechanisms for how increased dietary K intake has positive effects on bone and cardiovascular health remains unknown. In this project the overarching goal is to determine if various endocrine factors mediate crosstalk between dietary K intake, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and bone-cardiovascular health. The project will require working with genetically modified mice models, development of primary cultures of bone, imaging using micro-CT and potentially "omic"-based approaches.

Our new MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow should have proven skills in one or more of the following:

• Development of primary cultures
• Cell culture
• Single-cell sequencing
• Bioinformatics

• Proteomics and bioinformatics
• Cell culture and ex vivo tissue culturing
• High-resolution imaging
• Animal models of disease
• Gene modified mice