The primary cilium functions as a mechanical and calcium signaling nexus.

Background: The primary cilium is an antenna-like, nonmotile structure that extends from the surface of most mammalian cell types and is critical for chemosensing and mechanosensing in a variety of tissues including cartilage, bone, and kidney. Flow-induced intracellular calcium ion (Ca(2+)) increases in kidney epithelia depend on primary cilia and primary cilium-localized Ca(2+)-permeable channels polycystin-2 (PC2) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). While primary cilia have been implicated in osteocyte mechanotransduction, the molecular mechanism that mediates this process is not fully understood.