Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Kidney: From Embryo to Adult

Abstract

Multiple members from every major family of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) have been implicated in the development, maintenance, or repair of renal tissues and include several isoforms of integrins, cell-bound glycoproteins, cadherins, immunoglobulin cell adhesion molecules, and selectins. In combination, they mediate a variety of cell-basement membrane and cell-cell interactions believed to direct morphogenesis and cell migration and regulate cell growth and apoptosis, in addition to generating a functional barrier for blood filtration and helping manage inflammatory responses in the kidney. The expression of some CAMs is transient during and critical to normal nephrogenesis, varying with specific stages of development, but often ultimately resulting in the constitutive production of other members in mature tissues. While gene-targeting studies have successfully implicated individual CAMs in renal cell functions, e.g., α₃β₁ and α₈β₁ integrins, the loss of others bears no renal phenotype due to redundancy of homologous family members or to the severity of the defect early in embryogenesis. This review summarizes the studies of various CAMs found in normal embryonic or adult kidney, describes their spatiotemporal expression patterns, and discusses their involvement in renal processes.

Expression of cell adhesion molecules in the normal and T3 blocked development of the tadpole's kidney of Bufo arenarum (Amphibian, Anuran, Bufonidae)

“…E-cadherin knockout models affect embryogenesis prior to implantation preventing the study of E-cadherin in the renal morphogenesis (Larue et al, 1994;Riethmacher et al, 1995;Izaguirre et al, 2001b). In contrast to mammalian kidneys where N-and P-cadherin are expressed (Biddlestone and Fleming 1991;Wu et al, 1993;Nouwen et al, 1993;Tassin et al, 1994;Tani et al, 1995;Perantoni, 1999;Prozialeck et al, 2004), we did not find N-or P-cadherin in the B. arenarum kidney, although the antibodies used have cross-reactivity with anurans -c-d) and -catenin e-f) expression. a-b) Note E-cadherin expression at intercellular and cytoplasmic level both on the proximal and distal (insert) tubules, as on the collecting ducts, respectively.…”

“…Several studies, including the present work, demonstrate that a variety of cadherins are present in the kidney and are differentially expressed in various segments of the nephron (Vestweber et al, 1985;Biddlestone and Fleming 1991;Wu et al, 1993;Nouwen et al, 1993;Tassin et al, 1994;Tani et al, 1995;Perantoni, 1999;Shimazui et al, 2000;Prozialeck et al, 2004). Furthermore, each cell adhesion molecule may have a differential pattern of expression in several segments suggesting specific roles during kidney development.…”

“…In the adult human kidney, the expression is comparable to that observed during development. E-cadherin is weakly expressed in the proximal and distal tubules and is strongly expressed in the collecting ducts (Perantoni, 1999). In rats, E-cadherin is abundant in the distal tubule, the collecting duct and most medullar segments, but is present only at very low levels in the proximal tubules (Prozialeck et al, 2004).…”

“…Presumptive glomerular epithelia are also immunoreactive, but this is lost from the podocytes with maturation. In general, desmosomes are small during development but they enlarge as the kidney matures (Perantoni, 1999).…”

De novo lumen formation and elongation in the developing nephron: a central role for afadin in apical polarity

“…Regulation of adhesion between cells impacts many aspects of kidney development (Marciano et al, 2011;Perantoni, 1999). Adherens junctions are comprised of at least two families of adhesion receptors, cadherins and nectins, that interact with each other and signal mainly through their intracellular adaptors, the catenins and afadin (Mllt4 -Mouse Genome Informatics), respectively (Gumbiner, 2005;Nishimura and Takeichi, 2009;Tachibana et al, 2000;Takai et al, 2008a).…”