Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Isolation of Glomeruli and In Vivo Labeling of Glomerular Cell Surface Proteins
Published on: January 18, 2019
Lipid-protein interactions along the slit diaphragm of podocytes
Bernhard Schermer1, Thomas Benzing
1Department of Medicine and Centre for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Abstract:
Podocytes are visceral epithelial cells supporting the function of the glomerular filter. Interdigitating foot processes of podocytes enwrap the glomerular capillaries and are connected by a highly specialized cell junction, the slit diaphragm. Signal transduction at the slit diaphragm is essential for the proper function of the kidney filtration barrier. The slit diaphragm constitutes a dynamic multiprotein signaling complex that contains structural proteins, receptors, signaling adaptors, ion channels, and scaffolding proteins. Function of some of these proteins requires cholesterol attached to the multiprotein complex. Recruitment of cholesterol is achieved through the PHB domain protein podocin, a member of a novel family of lipid-binding proteins that are conserved through evolution. The finding that cholesterol interaction regulates the activity of ion channels at the glomerular filtration barrier has important implications for renal physiology and pathophysiology.
Related Concept Videos
Tight Junctions
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Membrane Domains
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
Glomerular Filtration
Components of the Filtration Membrane
The filtration process involves three key layers: the glomerular endothelial cells, the basement membrane, and the podocyte-formed filtration slits.
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane
