A new chapter in Rh research: Rh proteins are ammonium transporters

Occasionally, an original research paper has an unusually significant impact on a particular research field. Such a paper, published recently in Nature Genetics, describes the uncovering of the functional role of the Rh protein family – the proteins that express the Rh blood group antigens. Marini et al. [1] demonstrate how two human Rh glycoproteins can correct ammonium transport deficiency in mutant yeast cells. Rh proteins are therefore ammonium transporters – a role that, in vertebrates, has remained previously uncharacterized. These data herald a new era in Rh protein research, beyond their role as blood group antigens, and into the characterization of ammonium transport mechanisms, notably in the kidney.