IRSp53 shapes the plasma membrane and controls polarized transport at the nascent lumen during epithelial morphogenesis

Establishment of apical–basal cell polarity is necessary for generation of luminal and tubular structures during epithelial morphogenesis. Molecules acting at the membrane/ actin interface are expected to be crucial in governing these processes. Here, we show that the I-BAR-containing IRSp53 protein is restricted to the luminal side of epithelial cells of various glandular organs, and is specifically enriched in renal tubules in human, mice, and zebrafish. Using three-dimensional cultures of renal MDCK and intestinal Caco-2 cysts, we show that IRSp53 is recruited early after the first cell division along the forming apical lumen, and is essential for formation of a single lumen and for positioning of the polarity determinants aPKC and podocalyxin. Molecularly, IRSp53 directly binds to and controls localization of the inactive form of the small GTPase RAB35, a tethering factor for apical determinants. The interaction of IRSp53 with the actin capping protein EPS8 is critical for restricting IRSp53 localization. Correlative light and electron microscopy shows that IRSp53 loss perturbs the shape and continuity of the opposing apical membrane during the initial phase of lumenogenesis, which leads to preservation of multiple cytoplasmic bridges that interrupt the continuity of the nascent lumen. At the organism level, genetic removal of IRSp53 results in abnormal renal tubulogenesis, with defects in tubular polarity and architectural organization in both IRSp53 zebrafish mutant lines and IRSp53-KO murine models. Thus, IRSp53 acts as a platform for spatiotemporal regulation of assembly of the multi-protein complexes that shape the luminal membrane during the early steps of epithelial lumen morphogenesis.