Primary cilia regulates the directional migration and barrier integrity of endothelial cells through the modulation of Hsp27 dependent actin cytoskeletal organization

• Published in: Journal of cellular physiology 2012-01, Vol.227 (1), p.70-76
• Main Authors: Jones, Thomas J., Adapala, Ravi K., Geldenhuys, Werner J., Bursley, Chris, AbouAlaiwi, Wissam A., Nauli, Surya M., Thodeti, Charles K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin Cytoskeleton - metabolism; Animals; Blotting, Western; Capillary Permeability - physiology; Cell Adhesion; Cell Movement; Cilia - metabolism; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Focal Adhesions - metabolism; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Polycystic Kidney Diseases - physiopathology; Signal Transduction - physiology
• ISSN: 0021-9541; 1097-4652
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.22704

Cilia are mechanosensing organelles that communicate extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Altered functions of primary cilia play a key role in the development of various diseases including polycystic kidney disease. Here, we show that endothelial cells from the oak ridge polycystic kidney (Tg737orpk/orpk) mouse, with impaired cilia assembly, exhibit a reduction in the actin stress fibers and focal adhesions compared to wild‐type (WT). In contrast, endothelial cells from polycystin‐1 deficient mice (pkd1null/null), with impaired cilia function, display robust stress fibers, and focal adhesion assembly. We found that the Tg737orpk/orpk cells exhibit impaired directional migration and endothelial cell monolayer permeability compared to the WT and pkd1null/null cells. Finally, we found that the expression of heat shock protein 27 (hsp27) and the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) are downregulated in the Tg737orpk/orpk cells and overexpression of hsp27 restored both FAK phosphorylation and cell migration. Taken together, these results demonstrate that disruption of the primary cilia structure or function compromises the endothelium through the suppression of hsp27 dependent actin organization and focal adhesion formation, which may contribute to the vascular dysfunction in ciliopathies. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 70–76, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.