Figure 7.

Mechanical touch–induced calcium propagation and NO production are independent of cilia. A, Response of individual wild-type (wt), Pkd1^null/null (Pkd1), and Tg737^orpk/orpk (Tg737) cells to a single apical cell pressing is pseudocolored. The calcium (red) and NO (green) are superimposed. The color bar indicates the Ca²⁺ or NO level relative to the corresponding baseline level, with black and blue representing a low (lo) level and red or green denoting a higher (hi) level. The apical membrane of a single cell (far left) was pressed after baseline values of calcium and NO were obtained for at least 14 seconds as indicated by arrows. B, The individual cytosolic calcium ([Ca²⁺]_cyt) response to a mechanical stimulus of touching a single cell. C, The individual cytosolic NO ([NO]_cyt) response. The red line in each graph represents the corresponding calcium and NO values of the touched cell. D, Cells were grouped on the basis of their distance away from the touched cells. The averages of their corresponding cytosolic calcium (•) and NO (○) responses are shown. The units of time and distance are seconds and microns, respectively. n = 3.