Flow induces common and specific transcriptional changes in renal tubular epithelial cells involving the PI3K pathway

Flow-induced shear stress affects renal epithelial cells in the nephron tubule with potential implications for differential functionalities of the individual segments. Disruptions of cellular mechanosensation or flow conditions are associated with the development and progression of various renal diseases. This study investigates the effects of flow on the transcriptome of various renal tubular epithelial cell types. We analyzed the transcriptome of induced renal epithelial cells (iREC) cultured under physiological flow (0.57 ± 0.05 dyn/cm² ) or in static conditions for 72 h. RNA sequencing showed 861 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 503 up- and 358 downregulated under flow. DEGs were linked to extracellular matrix (ECM) components (e.g. Col1a1, Col4a3, Col4a4, Fn1, Smoc2), junctions (Gja1, Tubb5), channel activities (Abcc4, Aqp1), and transcription factors (Foxq1, Lgr6). Next, we performed a meta-analysis comparing our data with three published datasets that subjected epithelial cell lines from distinct segments to flow, including proximal tubule and collecting duct cells. We found that TGF-ß, p53, MAPK, and PI3K are common flow-regulated pathways. Tfrc expression and thus the capability of iron uptake is commonly upregulated under flow. Many DEGs were related to kidney diseases, such as fibrosis (e.g. Tgfb1-3 and Serpine1). To obtain further mechanistic insights we investigated the role of the PI3K pathway in flow sensing. Applying flow and inhibition of PI3K showed significantly altered expression of transcripts related to ECM remodeling, angiogenesis, and ion transport. This suggests that the PI3K pathway is a critical mediator in flow-dependent cellular processes and gene expression, potentially influencing renal development and tissue remodeling. Finally, we derived a cross-cell-line summary of common as well as segment-specific transcriptomic effects, thus providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying flow sensing in the nephron tubule.