Summary of the development of the kidneys, including:
- Molecules involved in branching
- Ureteric bud branching
- How branches don't collide
- How the correct shape of kidney tubules forms
- Planar cell polarity
- How cells differentiate themselves
Development of the Kidney
• Kidney is made of epithelial and endothelial tubes
• Making a branched epithelium
o The kidney has a tree-shaped structure so that it can drain urine
o 3 pairs of kidneys are formed in our lifetime
▪ 1st pair are pronephric
▪ 2nd pair are the mesonephros
• These kidneys are excretory and are plumbed into one linear duct
• The duct is not branched at this point
• Females get rid of the mesonephros and just leave scar tissue
behind
• In males, the mesonephric nephrons form the epididymis
o Wolffian duct forms the vas deferens
▪ 3rd pair are the metanephros
o
• How does one ureter come out of each Wolffian duct?
o Ureter attaches to kidney
o Tissues surrounding the Wolffian duct contain BMP4
▪ BMP4 causes the mesonephros not to branch
▪ The metanephric mesenchyme also contains BMP4 but this is switched
off by Gemlin 1 (GREM1)
▪
, o GDNF attracts the mesonephros in order to make the ureteric bud
▪ GDNF is found in the metanephrogenic mesenchyme
▪ The ureteric bud branches when it reaches the mesenchyme
• Usually one tip branches to form two
▪
• What controls branching?
o It was guessed that surrounding cells make signals that control branching
▪
o Looked for signal proteins and matching receptors that are in the right place
for this
▪
▪ Experiments using in-situ hybridisation were used to do this
• In-situ hybridisation used to use silver instead of radioactive
probes
▪ Ret receptor is found at the tips of the branches of the ureteric bud
• Ret is the receptor for GDNF
• GDNF is made by the mesenchyme around the bud but not by the
bud itself
o Coreceptor GFR1 is need for Ret/GDNF binding
• Radioactive GDNF was created and shown to bind to the end of
the bud
• Showed that this could be the molecule that is involved in
branching, but doesn’t actually prove it
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller alexgpegg. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.39. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
