Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) family proteins associate with transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family proteins to form functionally important complexes. PKD proteins differ from known ion channel-forming proteins and are generally thought to act as membrane receptors. Here we find that PKD1L3, a PKD protein, functions as a channel-forming subunit in an acid-sensing heteromeric complex formed by PKD1L3 and TRPP3, a TRP channel protein. Single amino-acid mutations in the putative pore region of both proteins alter the channel's ion selectivity. The PKD1L3/TRPP3 complex in the plasma membrane of live cells contains one PKD1L3 and three TRPP3. A TRPP3 C-terminal coiled-coil domain forms a trimer in solution and in crystal, and has a crucial role in the assembly and surface expression of the PKD1L3/TRPP3 complex. These results demonstrate that PKD subunits constitute a new class of channel-forming proteins, enriching our understanding of the function of PKD proteins and PKD/TRPP complexes.
