Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney
Published on: November 1, 2018
The cytoprotective role of Ras in complement-mediated glomerular epithelial cell injury
Carl Huynh1, Guohui Ren, Joan Papillon
1Department of Physiology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
In experimental membranous nephropathy, complement C5b-9-induced glomerular epithelial cell (GEC) injury leads to loss of glomerular permselectivity and proteinuria. Incubation of cultured GEC with antibody and serially-increasing concentrations of complement induced cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Stable expression of constitutively-active Ras (V(12)Ras) in GEC attenuated injury significantly. In the V(12)Ras-expressing GEC, disruption of the F-actin cytoskeleton with latrunculin B or swinholide A, or stabilization of F-actin with jasplakinolide reversed the cytoprotective effect of V(12)Ras. GEC displayed cortical F-actin; V(12)Ras-expressing GEC showed smaller and more rounded morphology, and decreased activity of the Rho GTPase, Rac1, compared with control GEC. Thus, the protective effect of V(12)Ras is dependent on remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, and may be associated with a reduction in Rac activity, thereby altering the equilibrium in the activities of Rho GTPases. Activation of Ras signaling is a novel pathway to consider in developing strategies for cytoprotection in complement-mediated injury.
Related Concept Videos
The Ras Gene
Ras is a superfamily...
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Complement System
Renal Corpuscle
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous capillaries...
MAPK Signaling Cascades
Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology

