Loss of primary cilia increases polycystin-2 and TRPV4 and the appearance of a nonselective cation channel in the mouse cortical collecting duct.

Flow-related bending of cilia results in Ca2+ influx through a polycystin-1 (Pkd1) and polycystin-2 (Pkd2) complex, both of which are members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family (TRPP1 and TRPP2, respectively). Deletion of this complex as well as cilia result in polycystic kidney disease. The Ca2+ influx pathway has been previously characterized in immortalized collecting duct cells without cilia and found to be a 23-pS channel that was a multimere of TRPP2 and TRPV4. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this TRPP2 and TRPV4 multimere exists in vivo. Apical channel activity was measured using the patch-clamp technique from isolated split-open cortical collecting ducts from adult conditional knockout mice with (Ift88flox/flox) or without (Ift88-/-) cilia. Single tubules were isolated for measurements of mRNA for Pkd1, Pkd2, Trpv4, and epithelial Na+ channel subunits. The predominant channel activity from Ift88flox/flox mice was from epithelial Na+ channel [5-pS Na+-selective channels with long mean open times (475.7 ± 83.26 ms) and open probability > 0.2]. With the loss of cilia, the predominant conductance was a 23-pS nonselective cation channel (reversal potential near 0) with a short mean open time (72 ± 17 ms), open probability < 0.08, and a characteristic flickery opening. Loss of cilia increased mRNA levels for Pkd2 and Trpv4 from single isolated cortical collecting ducts. In conclusion, 23-pS channels exist in vivo, and activity of this channel is elevated with loss of cilia, consistent with previous finding of an elevated-unregulated Ca2+-permeable pathway at the apical membrane of collecting duct cells that lack cilia.