Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Piezo1 regulates tight junctions between endothelium and mediates the occurrence of aortic dissection

Abstract Aims Exploring whether changes in endothelial Piezo1 mechanically sensitive ion channels can lead to thoracic aortic dissection（TAD） and its specific mechanisms of action. Methods and results IF showed aberrant Piezo1 expressions in the CD31+ endothelial cells in thoracic aortas of patients with TAD. In a β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN)-induced TAD mouse model, knockout of Piezo1 in endothelial cells shows a protective effect on aortic dissection, while the crucial tight junction (TJ) components ZO-1 was significantly increased by En Face staining. For identified how the Piezo1 ion channel influences the ZO-1 between endothelium, we used mass spectrometry analysis and RNA sequencing to identify a key factor Trib1 mediating the ubiquitination degradation of ZO-1. Also, we found the low expression of Trib1 in endothelial cell of Piezo1 ECKO mouse with BAPN feeding. Finally, we rescued the expression of TRIB1 by targeting endothelial cells with AAV9-TIE2-TRIB1, demonstrating that Piezo1 indeed promotes the occurrence of aortic dissection through degrading the TRIB1-COP1-ZO-1 complex. Conclusion The activation of Piezo1 promotes the occurrence of （TAD） through Trib1 mediated degradation of endothelial tight junctions. Inhibiting endothelial Piezo has the potential to become a specific therapeutic and preventive target for（TAD）.