Early organogenesis of the kidney

Abstract

The mammalian permanent kidney consists of three cell lineages of different origin: the epithelial cells of the ureter bud, the mesenchymal cells of the nephric blastema and the endothelial cells of the capillaries. Organogenesis is governed by a cascade of morphogenetic interactions between these cell populations, a reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interaction between the branching ureter and the metanephric mesenchyme, homotypic interactions between cells of the tubular anlagen, stimulation of angiogenesis by the differentiating blastema and a mesenchymal--endothelial interaction guiding the migration of the capillary endothelial cells. While the biology of these interactive events is well known, as described in this overview, the molecular mechanisms are less well mapped out.

The Leucine Zipper Putative Tumor Suppressor 2 Protein LZTS2 Regulates Kidney Development

“…Mouse kidney development initiates at approximately E10.5 to E11 days when the MM induces an epithelial thickening at the posterior part of the Wolffian duct known as the UB (25). As UB invades the adjacent MM, the mutual interaction between UB and MM through inductive signaling ensures the outgrowth and multiple branching of UB that eventually give rise to the renal collecting system and ureter.…”

“…Ectopic budding of the ureter from the Wolffian duct is usually the first ontogenic misstep that leads to CAKUT (24). Mouse metanephric kidney development begins at approximately E10.5 to E11, after the Wolffian duct, which derives from the intermediate mesoderm, extends caudally along the body axis, and produces an outgrowth called the UB (25). In this study, we visualized expression of c-Ret and Lzts2 in the Wolffian duct and UB in E10.5 wild type embryos, suggesting a potential role of Lzts2 in early kidney development (Fig.…”

Ca2+ coding and decoding strategies for the specification of neural and renal precursor cells during development

“…Specification of the pronephric tissue field can first be identified by the end of gastrulation, at the early neurula stage. This embryonic kidney is subsequently replaced by a mesonephros and then (in birds and mammals) by a metanephros [37]. In Xenopus laevis larvae there are two pronephroi, each of which consists of just one nephron (the functional unit of the kidney), which forms between the paraxial mesoderm and the lateral plate, just behind the head.…”

Wnt7b and Its Direct Target p57kip2 in Renal Medulla Development

“…[74][75][76] The metanephric mesenchyme induces a process called branching morphogenesis at the tip of the UB epithelium. 77 The first branching event forms a Tshaped structure, now with two tips. The UB continues to branch, increasing the number of tips, while elongation occurs of the UB trunks (Figure 1-2A At E13.5 the lengths of the UB trunks between branch points are consistent throughout the kidney, however at E14.5, the interbranch regions of the more distal UB epithelium (closer to the ureter and future pelvic space) elongate.…”

“…[97][98][99][100][101][102] The structure undergoes a mesenchyme to epithelial transition (MET) to become the renal vesicle, and after a series of morphological changes differentiates into the nephron. 77 Although the earliest differentiation from pretubular aggregate is at E12.5, as the UB continues to branch new nephrons continue to differentiate at the newly formed UB tips, in a process that continues throughout development. 88,95,103 The earliest nephron epithelial structure, the renal vesicle (RV), expresses different gene combinations along a proximal to distal axis, specifying the different segments of the future nephron.…”