The analyses of glomerular filtration system and epithelial barrier using genetically-engineered mice

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23590242
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
• Research Institution: Dokkyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Itoh Masahiko 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70270486)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 腎臓 / 糸球体 / 糸球体上皮細胞 / 密着結合 / 糸球体障害 / 蛋白尿 / ZO-1 / Tjp1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent studies have demonstrated that podocytes in the kidney glomerulus play a crucial role in blood filtration and in the pathogenesis of proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis; however, the molecular mechanisms that organize the podocyte filtration barrier are not fully understood.
We suggest that tight junction protein 1 (Tjp1 or ZO-1), which is encoded by Tjp1 gene, plays an essential role in establishing the podocyte filtration barrier. The podocyte-specific deletion of Tjp1 down-regulated the expression of podocyte membrane proteins, impaired the interdigitation of the foot processes and the formation of the slit diaphragm, resulting in glomerular dysfunction. We found the possibility that podocyte filtration barrier requires the integration of two independent units, the pre-existing epithelial junction components and the newly synthesized podocyte-specific components, at the final stage in glomerular morphogenesis, for which Tjp1 is indispensable.

Free Research Field

統合分子細胞生物学