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Isolation and Culture of Cells from the Nephrogenic Zone of the Embryonic Mouse Kidney
Published on: April 22, 2011
Cessation of renal morphogenesis in mice
Heather A Hartman1, Hsiao L Lai, Larry T Patterson
1Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
Developmental Biology
|September 11, 2007
Summary
Kidney development involves cycles of branching and nephron formation. The study reveals that the loss of mesenchyme, converted into nephrons, disrupts these cycles, controlling nephron number.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Renal physiology
Background:
- Kidney development relies on reciprocal interactions between ureteric bud tips and mesenchyme.
- Understanding the termination of nephrogenesis is crucial for determining final nephron count.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms ending kidney development cycles.
- To examine the morphology, gene expression, and function of key developmental domains.
Main Methods:
- Morphological analysis of kidney development in mice.
- Gene expression profiling.
- In vitro culture of ureteric bud tips and metanephric mesenchyme.
Main Results:
- Nephrogenic mesenchyme disappeared by postnatal day 3, correlating with accelerated nephron formation without apoptosis.
- Ureteric bud tips lost ampulla morphology and Wnt11 expression, but Wnt9b expression persisted.
- Postnatal day 3 ureteric bud tips retained the ability to support mesenchyme survival and induce nephrogenesis.
Conclusions:
- The cessation of kidney development cycles is initiated by mesenchyme loss, driven by its conversion into nephrons.
- This conversion disrupts ureteric bud branching and nephrogenesis, ultimately controlling nephron number.
