Generation and characterization of iPSC-derived renal proximal tubule-like cells with extended stability.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Chandrasekaran V
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8172841 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Protein reabsorption in renal proximal tubules is essential for maintaining nutrient homeostasis. Renal proximal tubule-specific gene knockout is a powerful method to assess the function of genes involved in renal proximal tubule protein reabsorption. However, the lack of inducible renal proximal tubule-specific Cre recombinase-expressing mouse strains hinders the study of gene function in renal proximal tubules. To facilitate the functional study of genes in renal proximal tubules, we developed an AMNCreERT2 knock-in mouse strain expressing a Cre recombinase–estrogen receptor fusion protein under the control of the promoter of the amnionless (AMN) gene, a protein reabsorption receptor in renal proximal tubules. AMNCreERT2 knock-in mice were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 strategy, and the tissue specificity of Cre activity was investigated using the Cre/loxP reporter system. We showed that the expression pattern of CreERT2-mEGFP in AMNCreERT2 mice was consistent with that of the endogenous AMN gene. Furthermore, we showed that the Cre activity in AMNCreERT2 knock-in mice was only detected in renal proximal tubules with high tamoxifen induction efficiency. As a proof-of-principle study, we demonstrated that renal proximal tubule-specific knockout of Exoc4 using AMNCreERT2 led to albumin accumulation in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells. The AMNCreERT2 mouse is a powerful tool for conditional gene knockout in renal proximal tubules and should offer useful insight into the physiological function of genes expressed in renal proximal tubules.
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Project description:Crosstalk of renal epithelial cells with interstitial fibroblasts plays an important role in kidney pathophysiology. A previous study showed that crosstalk between renal epithelial cells and renal fibroblasts protects against acidosis-induced damage. In order to gain further mechanistic insight into this crosstalk, we investigated the effect of acidosis on the transcriptome of renal epithelial cells (NRK-52E) and renal fibroblasts (NRK-49F) in co-culture by RNASeq, bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Cells were exposed to acidic media or control media for 48 h. RNA and protein from whole cell lysate were isolated. In addition, cells were fractionated into cytosol, nucleus and chromatin. RNASeq data were analyzed for differential expression and pathway enrichment (ingenuity pathway analysis, IPA, QIAGEN). Total and phosphorylated protein expression was assessed by Western blot (WB). Transcription factor activity was assessed by luciferase reporter assay. Bioinformatic analysis using differentially expressed genes according to RNASeq (7834 for NRK-52E and 3197 for NRK-49F) predicted the antioxidant and cell-protective Nrf2 pathway as acidosis-induced in NRK-52E and NRK-49F cells. Activation of Nrf2 comprises enhanced Nrf2 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, DNA binding and initiation of a cell protective transcriptional program. Our data show that acidosis enhances chromatin-associated Nrf2 expression and the abundance of phosphorylated Nrf2 in the chromatin fraction of NRK-52E cells in co-culture but not in monoculture. Furthermore, acidosis enhances the activity of a reporter for Nrf2 (ARE-luciferase). Despite the bioinformatics prediction, NRK-49F cells did not respond with Nrf2 activation. Transketolase (TKT) is an important regulator of antioxidant and homeostatic responses in the kidney and a canonical Nrf2 target gene. We show that protein and mRNA expression of TKT is increased in NRK-52E cells under co-culture but not under monoculture conditions. In conclusion, our data show that extracellular acidosis activates the cytoprotective transcription factor Nrf2 in renal epithelial cells co-cultivated with renal fibroblasts, thereby enhancing the expression of cytoprotective TKT. This protective response is not observed in monoculture. Activation of the Nrf2 pathway represents a co-operative cellular strategy of protection against acidosis.
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Project description:This study reports the cellular self-organization of primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs) around a minimal Matrigel scaffold to produce basal-in and apical-out proximal tubule organoids (tubuloids). These tubuloids are produced and maintained in hanging drop cultures for 90+ days, the longest such culture of any kind reported to date. The tubuloids upregulate maturity markers, such as aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and megalin (LRP2), and exhibit less mesenchymal and proliferation markers, such as vimentin and Ki67, compared to 2D cultures. They also experience changes over time as revealed by a comparison of gene expression patterns of cells in 2D culture and in day 31 and day 67 tubuloids. Gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry reveal an increase in the expression of megalin, an endocytic receptor that can directly bind and uptake protein or potentially assist protein uptake. The tubuloids, including day 90 tubuloids, uptake fluorescent albumin and reveal punctate fluorescent patterns, suggesting functional endocytic uptake through these receptors. Furthermore, the tubuloids release kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), a common biomarker for kidney injury, when exposed to albumin in both dose- and time-dependent manners. While this study focuses on potential applications for modeling proteinuric kidney disease, the tubuloids may have broad utility for studies where apical proximal tubule cell access is required.
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Project description:ObjectivesExosomes are 50-90nm extracellular membrane particles that may mediate trans-cellular communication between cells and tissues. We have reported that human urinary exosomes contain miRNA that are biomarkers for salt sensitivity and inverse salt sensitivity of blood pressure. This study examines exosomal transfer between cultured human renal proximal tubule cells (RPTCs) and from RPTCs to human distal tubule and collecting duct cells.Design and methodsFor RPTC-to-RPTC exosomal transfer, we utilized 5 RPTC lines producing exosomes that were fluorescently labeled with exosomal-specific markers CD63-EGFP or CD9-RFP. Transfer between RPTCs was demonstrated by co-culturing CD63-EGFP and CD9-RFP stable clones and performing live confocal microscopy. For RPTC-to-distal segment exosomal transfer, we utilized 5 distal tubule and 3 collecting duct immortalized cell lines.ResultsTime-lapse videos revealed unique proximal tubule cellular uptake patterns for exosomes and eventual accumulation into the multivesicular body. Using culture supernatant containing exosomes from 3 CD9-RFP and 2 CD63-EGFP RPTC cell lines, all 5 distal tubule cell lines and all 3 collecting duct cell lines showed exosomal uptake as measured by microplate fluorometry. Furthermore, we found that RPTCs stimulated with fenoldopam (dopamine receptor agonist) had increased production of exosomes, which upon transfer to distal tubule and collecting duct cells, reduced the basal reactive oxygen species (ROS) production rates in those recipient cells.ConclusionDue to the complex diversity of exosomal contents, this proximal-to-distal vesicular inter-nephron transfer may represent a previously unrecognized trans-renal communication system.
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Project description:This study reports the cellular self-organization of primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs) around a minimal Matrigel scaffold to produce basal-in and apical-out proximal tubule organoids (tubuloids). These tubuloids are produced and maintained in hanging drop cultures for 90+ days, the longest such culture of any kind reported to date. The tubuloids upregulate maturity markers, such as aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and megalin (LRP2), and exhibit less mesenchymal and proliferation markers, such as vimentin and Ki67, compared to 2D cultures. They also experience changes over time as revealed by a comparison of gene expression patterns of cells in 2D culture and in day 31 and day 67 tubuloids. Gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry reveal an increase in the expression of megalin, an endocytic receptor that can directly bind and uptake protein or potentially assist protein uptake. The tubuloids, including day 90 tubuloids, uptake fluorescent albumin and reveal punctate fluorescent patterns, suggesting functional endocytic uptake through these receptors. Furthermore, the tubuloids release kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), a common biomarker for kidney injury, when exposed to albumin in both dose- and time-dependent manners. While this study focuses on potential applications for modeling proteinuric kidney disease, the tubuloids may have broad utility for studies where apical proximal tubule cell access is required.
2022-10-07 | GSE198857 | GEO
Project description:Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a potent regulator of phosphate (Pi) and vitamin D homeostasis. The transcription factor, early growth response 1 (egr-1), is a biomarker for FGF23-induced activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. We have shown that ERK1/2 signaling blockade suppresses renal egr-1 gene expression and prevents FGF23-induced hypophosphatemia and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) suppression in mice. To test whether egr-1 itself mediates these renal actions of FGF23, we administered FGF23 to egr-1-/- and wild-type (WT) mice. In WT mice, FGF23 induced hypophosphatemia and suppressed expression of the renal Na/Pi cotransporters, Npt2a and Npt2c. In FGF23-treated egr-1-/- mice, hypophosphatemic response was greatly blunted and Na/Pi cotransporter expression was not suppressed. In contrast, FGF23 induced equivalent suppression of serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations by suppressing renal cyp27b1 and stimulating cyp24a1 mRNA expression in both groups of mice. Thus, downstream of receptor binding and ERK1/2 signaling, we can distinguish the effector pathway that mediates FGF23-dependent inhibition of Pi transport from the pathway that mediates inhibition of 1,25(OH)2D synthesis in the kidney. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the hypophosphatemic effect of FGF23 is significantly blunted in Hyp/egr-1-/- mice; specifically, serum Pi concentrations and renal Npt2a and Npt2c mRNA expression are significantly higher in Hyp/egr-1-/- mice than in Hyp mice. We then characterized the egr-1 cistrome in the kidney using ChIP-sequencing and demonstrate recruitment of egr-1 to regulatory DNA elements in proximity to several genes involved in Pi transport. Thus, our data demonstrate that the effect of FGF23 on Pi homeostasis is mediated, at least in part, by activation of egr-1.
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Project description:Circadian variability in kidney function is well recognized but is often ignored as a potential confounding variable in physiological experiments. Here, we have created a data resource consisting of expression levels for mRNA transcripts in microdissected proximal tubule segments from mice as a function of the time of day. Small-sample RNA sequencing was applied to microdissected S1 proximal convoluted tubules and S2 proximal straight tubules. After stringent filtering, the data were analyzed using JTK-Cycle to detect periodicity. The data set is provided as a user-friendly webpage at https://esbl.nhlbi.nih.gov/Databases/Circadian-Prox2/. In proximal convoluted tubules, 234 transcripts varied in a circadian manner (4.0% of the total). In proximal straight tubules, 334 transcripts varied in a circadian manner (5.3%). Transcripts previously known to be associated with corticosteroid action and with increased flow were found to be overrepresented among circadian transcripts peaking during the "dark" portion of the day [zeitgeber time (ZT)14-22], corresponding to peak levels of corticosterone and glomerular filtration rate in mice. To ask whether there is a time-of-day dependence of protein abundances in the kidney, we carried out LC-MS/MS-based proteomics in whole mouse kidneys at ZT12 and ZT0. The full data set (n = 6,546 proteins) is available at https://esbl.nhlbi.nih.gov/Databases/Circadian-Proteome/. Overall, 293 proteins were differentially expressed between ZT12 and ZT0 (197 proteins greater at ZT12 and 96 proteins greater at ZT0). Among the regulated proteins, only nine proteins were found to be periodic in the RNA-sequencing analysis, suggesting a high level of posttranscriptional regulation of protein abundances.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Circadian variation in gene expression can be an important determinant in the regulation of kidney function. The authors used RNA-sequencing transcriptomics and LC-MS/MS-based proteomics to identify gene products expressed in a periodic manner. The data were used to construct user-friendly web resources.
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Project description:The human cell line HK-2 is most commonly used as a model of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) for various studies despite the absence or low expression of transporters characteristic of parental PTECs. In an effort to develop reliable PTEC models, several human cell lines have been newly established over the last decade. In contrast, reliable mouse PTEC models are still unavailable. In this study, we established immortalized renal cortex tubule cell lines derived from p53 knockout mice and evaluated various PTEC characteristics toward the development of reliable mouse PTEC models. Here, we focus on MuRTE61, one of 13 newly established clonal cell lines. Albumin uptake in MuRTE61 cells was verified by incubation with fluorescent dye-labeled albumin. RT-PCR confirmed the expression of efflux transporter genes characteristic of PTECs in the MuRTE61 cells. MuRTE61 cells exhibited high sensitivity to treatment with cisplatin, a nephrotoxic agent, accompanied by upregulated expression of the uptake transporter Slc22a2 gene. Furthermore, MuRTE61 cells consistently formed spheroids with a lumen and apicobasal polarity in three-dimensional Matrigel cultures. Apical brush border microvilli were also observed in the spheroids by transmission electron microscopy. These data validate that MuRTE61 can be characterized as a reliable mouse PTEC line. In future, detailed analysis of reliable mouse and human PTEC lines will provide an accurate extrapolation of results of experiments using mice and humans, and may help resolve apparent inconsistencies between mouse and human nephrotoxicity.
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