Conditional Mutation of Pkd2 Causes Cystogenesis and Upregulates β-Catenin

Abstract

Loss of polycystin-2 (PC2) in mice (Pkd2^−/−) results in total body edema, focal hemorrhage, structural cardiac defects, abnormal left-right axis, hepatorenal and pancreatic cysts, and embryonic lethality. The molecular mechanisms by which loss of PC2 leads to these phenotypes remain unknown. We generated a model to allow targeted Pkd2 inactivation using the Cre-loxP system. Global inactivation of Pkd2 produced a phenotype identical to Pkd2^−/− mice with undetectable PC2 protein and perinatal lethality. Using various Cre mouse lines, we found that kidney, pancreas, or time-specific deletion of Pkd2 led to cyst formation. In addition, we developed an immortalized renal collecting duct cell line with inactive Pkd2; these cells had aberrant cell-cell contact, ciliogenesis, and tubulomorphogenesis. They also significantly upregulated β-catenin, axin2, and cMyc. Our results suggest that loss of PC2 disrupts normal behavior of renal epithelial cells through dysregulation of β-catenin-dependent signaling, revealing a potential role for this signaling pathway in PC2-associated ADPKD.