The trafficking of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) involves multiple complex pathways, including regulated, cAMP-, and cGMP-mediated pathways, as well as a constitutive recycling pathway. Although several accessory proteins have been indirectly implicated in AQP2 recycling, the direct protein-protein interactions that regulate this process remain largely unknown. Using yeast two-hybrid screening of a human kidney cDNA library, we have identified the 70-kDa heat shock proteins as AQP2-interacting proteins. Interaction was confirmed by mass spectrometry of proteins pulled down from rat kidney papilla extract using a GST-AQP2 C-terminal fusion protein (GST-A2C) as a bait, by co-immunoprecipitation (IP) assays, and by direct binding assays using purified hsc70 and the GST-A2C. The direct interaction of AQP2 with hsc70 is partially inhibited by ATP, and the Ser-256 residue in the AQP2 C terminus is important for this direct interaction. Vasopressin stimulation in cells enhances the interaction of hsc70 with AQP2 in IP assays, and vasopressin stimulation in vivo induces an increased co-localization of hsc70 and AQP2 on the apical membrane of principal cells in rat kidney collecting ducts. Functional knockdown of hsc70 activity in AQP2 expressing cells results in membrane accumulation of AQP2 and reduced endocytosis of rhodaminetransferrin. Our data also show that AQP2 interacts with hsp70 in multiple in vitro binding assays. Finally, in addition to hsc70 and hsp70, AQP2 interacts with several other key components of the endocytotic machinery in co-IP assays, including clathrin, dynamin, and AP2. To summarize, we have identified the 70-kDa heat shock proteins as a AQP2 interactors and have shown for hsc70 that this interaction is involved in AQP2 trafficking.Aquaporin 2 is expressed in principal cells of the kidney collecting duct and mediates water absorption and urinary concentration in response to vasopressin (VP). 4 Upon stimulation by VP, AQP2 accumulates on the plasma membrane of collecting duct principal cells (1-4). Activation of both cAMP-dependent, VP/forskolin-stimulated and cAMP-independent, cGMP-responsive signaling pathways stimulates membrane accumulation of AQP2 (5). Recent evidence also indicates that cAMP-and cGMP-independent membrane accumulation of AQP2 can also occur in the absence of hormonal stimulation (6 -8), such as by blocking endocytosis (6, 8) and by disrupting the actin cytoskeleton (9, 10).Although the complicated pathways of intracellular AQP2 trafficking remain to be completely elucidated, even less is known about the direct interaction of AQP2 or AQP2-containing vesicles with a host of accessory factors that must be involved in these processes. Understanding these interactions is a critical step in dissecting the processes of exocytosis, endocytosis, intracellular translocation, as well as degradation and shedding of AQP2 that all contribute to the final physiological response to VP in vivo. Many of the cytosolic proteins known to be involved in vesicular trafficking in general have also been impli...