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Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
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Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Canonical WNT signaling during kidney development

Diana M Iglesias1, Pierre-Alain Hueber, LeeLee Chu

  • 1Department of Human Genetics, McGill University-Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute, 4060 St. Catherine West, Montreal, QC, Canada H3Z 2Z3.

American Journal of Physiology. Renal Physiology
|May 12, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Canonical WNT signaling drives kidney development by controlling ureteric bud branching and nephrogenesis. This pathway

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The canonical WNT signaling pathway is vital for embryonic patterning.
  • Specific roles in mammalian organogenesis, particularly kidney development, remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of canonical beta-catenin-mediated WNT signaling in mammalian kidney organogenesis.
  • To identify specific developmental events regulated by WNT signaling during kidney development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mice with a beta-catenin-responsive TCF/betaGal reporter transgene to visualize WNT signaling activity.
  • Examined WNT signaling in metanephric kidneys during development.
  • Assessed the impact of a WNT inhibitor (Dickkopf-1) on fetal kidney explants.
  • Used kidney cell lines derived from ureteric bud and metanephric mesenchyme lineages.

Main Results:

  • Intense WNT signaling observed in the branching ureteric bud and differentiating nephrogenic mesenchyme.
  • WNT signaling activity decreased significantly in maturing nephrons and was absent in postnatal kidneys.
  • WNT2b and WNT4 expression correlated with WNT signaling sites.
  • Inhibition of WNT signaling reduced ureteric bud arborization.

Conclusions:

  • Canonical WNT signaling is essential for branching nephrogenesis in the fetal kidney.
  • Restricted zones of WNT signaling activity orchestrate key developmental events in the kidney.

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