Primary-cilium-dependent autophagy controls epithelial cell volume in response to fluid flow

Autophagy is an adaptation mechanism that is vital for cellular homeostasis in response to various stress conditions. Previous reports indicate that there is a functional interaction between the primary cilium (PC) and autophagy. The PC, a microtubule-based structure present at the surface of numerous cell types, is a mechanical sensor. Here we show that autophagy induced by fluid flow regulates kidney epithelial cell volume in vitro and in vivo. PC ablation blocked autophagy induction and cell-volume regulation. In addition, inhibition of autophagy in ciliated cells impaired the flow-dependent regulation of cell volume. PC-dependent autophagy can be triggered either by mTOR inhibition or a mechanism dependent on the polycystin 2 channel. Only the LKB1-AMPK-mTOR signalling pathway was required for the flow-dependent regulation of cell volume by autophagy. These findings suggest that therapies regulating autophagy should be considered in developing treatments for PC-related diseases.