The parathyroid hormone 1 receptor directly binds to the FERM domain of ezrin, an interaction that supports apical receptor localization and signaling in LLC-PK1 cells.

PTH 1 receptor (PTH1R) regulates mineral ion homeostasis. Both apical and basolateral PTH1R subpopulations exist within the renal proximal tubule. The purpose of this research was to examine determinants within the PTH1R that direct apical localization. When expressed in LLC-PK1 cells, a proximal tubule cell model, the PTH1R localizes to both apical and basolateral membranes. The C terminus of the PTH1R contains a psd-95, discs large, ZO-1 domain interaction motif that binds the sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF-1), a renal tubule scaffold protein. Receptors lacking the psd-95, discs large, ZO-1 domain interaction motif (PTH1R-CDelta4) partly localize to apical membranes, suggesting that additional factors may be involved. Ezrin, a membrane-cytoskeleton linking protein, directly binds NHERF-1 and thus links assembled complexes to actin. In vitro, subdomain C of the ezrin band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, domain interacts with the C-terminal tail of the PTH1R on a site that is mutually exclusive from the NHERF-1 interaction domain, suggesting the presence of a ternary complex. Mutating the lysine-arginine-lysine motif within the juxtamembrane region of the PTH1R C-terminal tail to alanines markedly disrupts interactions with the band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, domain of ezrin both in vitro and within cells. Inclusion of these mutations in the context of the full-length PTH1R disrupts apical localization with no effect on basolateral expression. Expression of a dominant-negative ezrin selectively disrupts apical expression and signaling of the PTH1R. However, dominant-negative ezrin does not affect expression or signaling of the basolateral PTH1R subpopulation. These findings reveal that direct ezrin interactions promote PTH1R apical localization and signaling in LLC-PK1 cells.