Project description:Renin producing cells of the juxtaglomerulus, herein called cells of renin lineage (CoRL), have garnered recent interest for their propensity to act as a progenitor sink for various kidney cell types including podocytes. Despite recent advances, the process of transdifferentiation of CoRL to podocytes is poorly understood. In this study, we employed a transgenic mouse line which permanently labels CoRL with ZsGreen fluorescent protein, allowing for isolation by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. At 5 days following induction of abrupt podocyte ablation via anti-podocyte sheep IgG, mice were sacrificed and CoRL were isolated by FACS. RNA was subsequently analyzed by microarray. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed and revealed that CoRL display a distinct phenotype following podocyte ablation, primarily consisting of downregulation of metabolic processes and upregulation of immuno-modulatory processes. Additionally, RNA-biology and cell cycle-related processes were also upregulated. Changes in gene expression or activity of a core set of transcription factors including HNF1 and E2F were identified through changes in enrichment of their respective target genes. However, integration of results from transcription factor and canonical pathway analysis indicated that ERR1 and PU-box family members may be the major contributors to the post-podocyte ablation phenotype of CoRL. Finally, top ranking genes were selected from the microarray-based analysis and confirmed by qPCR. Collectively, our results provide valuable insights into the transcriptional regulation of CoRL following abrupt podocyte ablation.
Project description:miRNA profiling of mouse kidney arteriolar smooth muscle cells (aSMCs) of the renin lineage comparing control untreated cells with cells treated with forskolin to induce renin expression. Two condition experiment: control untreated aSMCs vs forskolin treated aSMCs; Biological replicates: control 3, treated 3; independently grown and harvested. One replicate per array.
Project description:we profiled GEC mRNA expression levels in two animal models with podocyte depletion. We used a transgenic mouse model with YFP-labelled GEC for sorting of GEC. Podocyte depletion was induced by injection of mice with a specific anti-podocyte antibody or crossing with a podocyte-specific doxycycline-induced diphtheria toxin A (DTA) expression transgenic mouse model. Both mouse models developed significant proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, and podocyte depletion. YFP-positive GECs were sorted from these mice for RNA sequencing. Analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the diseased and control mice revealed significant alteration of metabolism and immune system in the antibody-mediated podocyte depletion model while angiogenesis, vascular development, actin cytoskeleton, and focal adhesion pathways were highly enriched in the DTA model. Apoptosis and cell adhesion pathways were enriched in both models. Apoptosis of GEC was confirmed in the kidney of these mice, which leads to the reduction of GEC number. We also identified a list of genes which were altered in both animal models. Among them, we have further validated Cd63, a molecule which is regulated in human DKD and plays a key role in endothelial cell function. In conclusion, this is the first unbiased approach to determine the genomic-wide response of GEC to podocyte depletion in two different animal models. Our study proves that podocyte depletion could induce GEC injury.
Project description:miRNA profiling of mouse kidney arteriolar smooth muscle cells (aSMCs) of the renin lineage comparing control untreated cells with cells treated with forskolin to induce renin expression.