High-resolution gene expression analysis of the developing mouse kidney defines novel cellular compartments within the nephron progenitor population

摘要

Thefunctionalunitofthekidneyisthenephron.Duringitsorganogenesis,themammalianmetanephrickidneygeneratesthousandsofnephronsoveraprotractedperiodoffetallife.Allnephronsarederivedfromapopulationofself-renewingmulti-potentprogenitorcells,termedthecapmesenchyme.However,ourunderstandingofthemolecularandcellularmechanismsunderlyingnephrondevelopmentisatanearlystage.Inordertoidentifyfactorsinvolvedinnephrogenesis,weperformedahigh-resolution,spatialprofilingofanumberoftranscriptionalregulatorsexpressedwithinthecapmesenchymeandearlydevelopingnephron.Ourresultsdemonstratenovel,stereotypic,spatiallydefinedcellularsub-domainswithinthecapmesenchyme,whichmay,inpart,reflectinductionofnephronprecursors.Theseresultssuggestahithertounappreciatedcomplexityofcellstatesthataccompanytheassemblyofthemetanephrickidney,likelyreflectingdiverseregulatoryactionssuchasthemaintenanceandinductionofnephronprogenitors./p/div