Emmanuelle Cordat

Associate Professor
PhD, University of Nice/Sophia-Antipolis, France

Laboratory: 7-34 Medical Sciences Building
Email address: cordat@ualberta.ca
Phone Number: 780 492 8892
Laboratory Website

Research Interests / Academic Activities

Research in the Cordat’s lab is focused on renal handling of ions, with a particular emphasis on the physiological role of bicarbonate transporters in the renal collecting duct. These transporters are expressed in many organs where they participate in acid-base homeostasis and electrolyte balance. Any imbalance of plasma bicarbonate homeostasis alters a number of physiological processes, including homeostasis of oxalate, a component of 80 % of kidney stones, indirect regulation of water reabsorption, plasma pH homeostasis, bile duct function, spermatogenesis, vision, hearing or cardiovascular function.

The Cordat lab works on the physiology and pathophysiology of renal intercalated cells and the specific role of the kidney anion exchanger 1 (kAE1) protein in these cells. Inherited kAE1 mutations can induce a kidney disease called distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). This disease causes failure to thrive, muscle weakness and kidney stones.

Our laboratory has 3 main research topics:

  1. Pathophysiology of the renal intercalated cell loss in dRTA patients,
  2. Persistence of kidney stone development and abnormal electrolyte balance in dRTA patients even after their acidosis is corrected
  3. Understanding the role of intercalated cells in innate immunity 

Our research will have an impact on our understanding of (1) kidney stone formation, a painful condition that affects one in ten Canadians throughout their lifetime, (2) individuals with abnormal blood pressure, which affects one in 5 Canadians aged 20 to 79 and (3) urinary tract infections, a common condition that causes roughly 500,000 visits per year to physicians in Canada.

Select Publications

  1. Beggs MR, Young K, Pan W, O'Neill DD, Saurette M, Plain A, Rievaj J, Doschak MR, Cordat E, Dimke H, Alexander RT. (2021) – “Claudin-2 and claudin-12 form independent, complementary pores required to maintain calcium homeostasis” - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 118(48):e2111247118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2111247118.
  2. Lashhab R., Rumley AC., Arutyunov D., Rizvi M., You C., Dimke H., Touret N., Zimmermann R., Jung M., Chen XZ., Alexander RT., Cordat E*. - (2019) - "The kidney anion exchanger 1 affects tight junction properties via claudin-4". Scientific Reports, 9(1):3099. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39430-9.
  3. Banerjee M., Arutyunov D., Brandwein D., Janetzki-Flatt C., Kolski H., Hume S., Leonard NJ., Watt J., Lacson A., Baradi M., Leslie EM*., Cordat E*., Caluseriu O*. - (2019) - "The novel p.Ser263Phe mutation in the human high-affinity choline transporter 1 (CHT1/SLC5A7) causes a lethal form of fetal akinesia syndrome". Human Mutation, 2019 Jul 12. doi: 10.1002/humu.23828
  4. Lashhab R.,Ullah AKM S.,Cordat E*. (2019) - "Renal collecting duct physiology and pathophysiology". Review, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 97(3):234-242. doi.org/ 10.1139/bcb-2018-0192.
  5. Mumtaz R., Trepiccione F., Hennings J.C., Huebner A.K., Serbin B., Ullah S.A., Paunescu T., Capen D., Lashhab R.M., Mouro-Chanteloup I., ALper S.L., Wagner C.A., Cordat E., Brown D., Eladari D., Hubner C.A. (2017) - "Type A intercalated cell depletion and V-ATPase mistargeting in AE1 R607H knock-in mice modeling human dominant distal renal tubular acidosis". Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 28(5):1507-1520. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2016020169
  6. E.Y. Almomani, J. King, J. Netsawang, PT. Yenchitsomanus, P. Malasit, T. Limjindapron, RT. Alexander, and E. Cordat* (2012) "Adaptor protein 1 complexes regulate intracellular trafficking of the kidney anion exchanger 1 in epithelial cells", American Journal of Physiology, Cell Physiology;303(5):C554-66. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00124.2012
  7. Cordat E and Casey J.R. (2009) " Bicarbonate transport in Cell Physiology and Disease" Biochemical Journal Review (invited review), 417(2):423-39. doi: 10.1042/BJ20081634.

Laboratory Members

Kris MacNaughton, Research Technician
Forough Chelangarimiyandoab, Graduate Student
Grace Essuman, Graduate Student
Priyanka Mungara, Graduate Student