Mechanosensitive PIEZO2 channels shape coronary artery development

Abstract

Coronary arteries develop under constant mechanical stress. However, the role of mechanosensitive ion channels in this process remains poorly understood. Here we show that the ion channel PIEZO2, which responds to mechanical stimuli, is expressed in specific coronary endothelial cell populations during a critical phase of coronary vasculature remodeling. These Piezo2+ coronary endothelial cells show distinct transcriptional profiles and have mechanically activated ionic currents. Strikingly, PIEZO2 loss-of-function mouse embryos and mice with human pathogenic variants of PIEZO2 show abnormal coronary vessel development and cardiac left ventricular hyperplasia. We conclude that an optimal balance of PIEZO2 channel function contributes to proper coronary vessel formation, structural integrity and remodeling, and is likely to support normal cardiac function. Our study highlights the importance of mechanical cues in cardiovascular development and suggests that defects in this mechanosensing pathway may contribute to congenital heart conditions. Pampols-Perez et al. identify the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO2 as a novel marker for embryonic coronary artery endothelial cells and as a critical regulator of coronary vascular remodeling. They show that in a distinct subset of coronary endothelial cells, PIEZO2 translates mechanically activated ionic currents into biological signals guiding coronary artery morphogenesis.