1932

Abstract

Abstract

Mammalian kidney development has helped elucidate the general concepts of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions, inductive signaling, epithelial cell polarization, and branching morphogenesis. Through the use of genetically engineered mouse models, the manipulation of and chick embryos, and the identification of human renal disease genes, the molecular bases for many of the early events in the developing kidney are becoming increasingly clear. Early patterning of the kidney region depends on interactions between // genes, with essential roles for and . Ureteric bud outgrowth and branching morphogenesis are controlled by the Ret/Gdnf pathway, which is subject to positive and negative regulation by a variety of factors. A clear role for Wnt proteins in induction of the kidney mesenchyme is now well established and complements the classic literature nicely. Patterning along the proximal distal axis as the nephron develops is now being investigated and must involve aspects of Notch signaling. The development of a glomerulus requires interactions between epithelial cells and infiltrating endothelial cells to generate a unique basement membrane. The integrity of the glomerular filter depends in large part on the proteins of the nephrin complex, localized to the slit diaphragm. Despite the kidney's architectural complexity, with the advent of genomics and expression arrays, it is becoming one of the best-characterized organ systems in developmental biology.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.cellbio.22.010305.104340
2006-11-10
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.cellbio.22.010305.104340
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.cellbio.22.010305.104340
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error