Knockdown of TauT expression impairs human embryonic kidney 293 cell development

Studies have demonstrated that TauT deficiency results in small kidneys in TauT knockout mice. Our studies have shown that TauT is a direct target of several genes, including p53 and WT1, which play an important role in renal development. However, whether the TauT gene is directly involved in renal development is largely unknown. In the present study, we created a TauT-deficient cell model by RNAi in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, and the effect of TauT on renal development was investigated. Knockdown of TauT significantly decreased the growth rate, cell migration, and colony formation of 293 cells. Inhibition of TauT caused cell cycle G2 arrest. Microarray analysis showed that several genes involved in cell cycle regulation or cell division, such as CDK6 and CDC7, were significantly downregulated in TauT-deficient 293 cells as compared to control 293 cells. In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that TauT plays a role in the development of renal cells. Knockdown of TauT impairs kidney development, possibly through regulation of cell cycle-related genes.