Gabapentin Disrupts Binding of Perlecan to the αδ Voltage Sensitive Calcium Channel Subunit and Impairs Skeletal Mechanosensation

Our understanding of how osteocytes, the principal mechanosensors within bone, sense and perceive force remains unclear. Previous work identified "tethering elements" (TEs) spanning the pericellular space of osteocytes and transmitting mechanical information into biochemical signals. While we identified the heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan (PLN) as a component of these TEs, PLN must attach to the cell surface to induce biochemical responses. As voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) are critical for bone mechanotransduction, we hypothesized that PLN binds the extracellular αδ subunit of VSCCs to couple the bone matrix to the osteocyte membrane. Here, we showed co-localization of PLN and αδ along osteocyte dendritic processes. Additionally, we quantified the molecular interactions between αδ and PLN domains and demonstrated for the first time that αδ strongly associates with PLN via its domain III. Furthermore, αδ is the binding site for the commonly used pain drug, gabapentin (GBP), which is associated with adverse skeletal effects when used chronically. We found that GBP disrupts PLN::αδ binding in vitro, and GBP treatment in vivo results in impaired bone mechanosensation. Our work identified a novel mechanosensory complex within osteocytes composed of PLN and αδ, necessary for bone force transmission and sensitive to the drug GBP.