2015-03-02
Integrated β-catenin, BMP, PTEN, and notch signalling patterns the nephron
Publication
Publication
eLife , Volume 2015 - Issue 4 p. 1- 29
The different segments of the nephron and glomerulus in the kidney balance the processes of water homeostasis, solute recovery, blood filtration, and metabolite excretion. When segment function is disrupted, a range of pathological features are presented. Little is known about nephron patterning during embryogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that the early nephron is patterned by a gradient in β-catenin activity along the axis of the nephron tubule. By modifying β-catenin activity, we force cells within nephrons to differentiate according to the imposed β-catenin activity level, thereby causing spatial shifts in nephron segments. The β-catenin signalling gradient interacts with the BMP pathway which, through PTEN/PI3K/AKT signalling, antagonises β-catenin activity and promotes segment identities associated with low β-catenin activity. β-catenin activity and PI3K signalling also integrate with Notch signalling to control segmentation: modulating β-catenin activity or PI3K rescues segment identities normally lost by inhibition of Notch. Our data therefore identifies a molecular network for nephron patterning.
Additional Metadata | |
---|---|
doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04000.001, hdl.handle.net/1765/88423 | |
eLife | |
Organisation | Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam |
Lindström, N.O, Lawrence, M.L, Burn, S.F, Johansson, J.A, Bakker, E.R.M, Ridgway, R.A, … Hohenstein, P. (2015). Integrated β-catenin, BMP, PTEN, and notch signalling patterns the nephron. eLife, 2015(4), 1–29. doi:10.7554/eLife.04000.001
|