CALHM1-Mediated ATP Release and Ciliary Beat Frequency Modulation in Nasal Epithelial Cells

Mechanical stimulation of airway epithelial cells causes apical release of ATP, which increases ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and speeds up mucociliary clearance. The mechanisms responsible for this ATP release are poorly understood. CALHM1, a transmembrane protein with shared structural features to connexins and pannexins, has been implicated in ATP release from taste buds, but it has not been evaluated for a functional role in the airway. In the present study, Calhm1 knockout, Panx1 knockout, and wild-type mouse nasal septal epithelial cells were grown at an air-liquid interface (ALI) and subjected to light mechanical stimulation from an air puff. Apical ATP release was attenuated in Calhm1 knockout cultures following mechanical stimulation at a pressure of 55 mmHg for 50 milliseconds (p < 0.05). Addition of carbenoxolone, a PANX1 channel blocker, completely abolished ATP release in Calhm1 knockout cultures but not in wild type or Panx1 knockout cultures. An increase in CBF was observed in wild-type ALIs following mechanical stimulation, and this increase was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in Calhm1 knockout cultures. These results demonstrate that CALHM1 plays a newly defined role, complementary to PANX1, in ATP release and downstream CBF modulation following a mechanical stimulus in airway epithelial cells.