Need to quickly excrete K+? Turn off NCC.

Renal K+ excretion is increased rapidly following dietary K+ intake, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Sorensen and colleagues show that K+ intake in mice provoked rapid and near-complete dephosphorylation of the renal distal convoluted tubule NaCl cotransporter, temporally associated with increases in both Na+ and K+ excretion. This response was independent of aldosterone and may be a crucial component of the acute homeostatic adaptation of the kidney to K+ intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]