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Differential expression and function of cadherin-6 during renal epithelium development
E A Cho1, L T Patterson, W T Brookhiser
1Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0650, USA.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|May 9, 1998
Summary
Cadherin-6 is crucial for embryonic kidney development, mediating mesenchymal cell aggregation and epithelial conversion. Its expression patterns reveal early nephron progenitor cell differentiation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Adhesion
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cadherins are calcium-dependent adhesion molecules essential for cell-cell interactions.
- Differential cadherin expression guides embryogenesis, influencing cell aggregation, boundary formation, and migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cadherin expression patterns during embryonic kidney development.
- To determine the role of specific cadherins in mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and nephron formation.
Main Methods:
- Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization were employed to analyze cadherin expression.
- In vitro functional assays using antibodies against cadherin-6 were performed.
Main Results:
- Cadherin-11 and E-cadherin mark early mesenchymal and ureteric bud populations, respectively.
- Cadherin-6 and E-cadherin expression patterns in renal vesicles and s-shaped bodies indicate regional progenitor cell differentiation.
- Cadherin-6 is expressed in proximal tubule progenitors, E-cadherin in distal tubule cells, and P-cadherin in glomeruli.
- Antibodies against cadherin-6 inhibited mesenchymal cell aggregation and epithelial formation in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Cadherin expression is spatially regulated during embryonic kidney development, reflecting cell fate.
- Cadherin-6 plays a critical role in the initial aggregation of mesenchymal cells and their subsequent epithelial differentiation.