TY - JOUR TI - A plasma membrane-localized polycystin-1/polycystin-2 complex in endothelial cells elicits vasodilation AU - MacKay, Charles E AU - Floen, Miranda AU - Leo, M Dennis AU - Hasan, Raquibul AU - Garrud, Tessa AC AU - Fernández-Peña, Carlos AU - Singh, Purnima AU - Malik, Kafait U AU - Jaggar, Jonathan H A2 - Trebak, Mohamed A2 - Swartz, Kenton J A2 - Jackson, William VL - 11 PY - 2022 DA - 2022/03/01 SP - e74765 C1 - eLife 2022;11:e74765 DO - 10.7554/eLife.74765 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.74765 AB - Polycystin-1 (PC-1, PKD1), a receptor-like protein expressed by the Pkd1 gene, is present in a wide variety of cell types, but its cellular location, signaling mechanisms, and physiological functions are poorly understood. Here, by studying tamoxifen-inducible, endothelial cell (EC)-specific Pkd1 knockout (Pkd1 ecKO) mice, we show that flow activates PC-1-mediated, Ca2+-dependent cation currents in ECs. EC-specific PC-1 knockout attenuates flow-mediated arterial hyperpolarization and vasodilation. PC-1-dependent vasodilation occurs over the entire functional shear stress range and via the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and intermediate (IK)- and small (SK)-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels. EC-specific PC-1 knockout increases systemic blood pressure without altering kidney anatomy. PC-1 coimmunoprecipitates with polycystin-2 (PC-2, PKD2), a TRP polycystin channel, and clusters of both proteins locate in nanoscale proximity in the EC plasma membrane. Knockout of either PC-1 or PC-2 (Pkd2 ecKO mice) abolishes surface clusters of both PC-1 and PC-2 in ECs. Single knockout of PC-1 or PC-2 or double knockout of PC-1 and PC-2 (Pkd1/Pkd2 ecKO mice) similarly attenuates flow-mediated vasodilation. Flow stimulates nonselective cation currents in ECs that are similarly inhibited by either PC-1 or PC-2 knockout or by interference peptides corresponding to the C-terminus coiled-coil domains present in PC-1 or PC-2. In summary, we show that PC-1 regulates arterial contractility through the formation of an interdependent signaling complex with PC-2 in ECs. Flow stimulates PC-1/PC-2 clusters in the EC plasma membrane, leading to eNOS, IK channel, and SK channel activation, vasodilation, and a reduction in blood pressure. KW - polycystin-1 KW - polycystin-2 KW - endothelial cell KW - vasodilation KW - blood pressure KW - flow JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -