Rho/ROCK activity tunes cell compartment segregation and differentiation in nephron-forming niches.

ABSTRACT: Controlling the time and place of nephron formation in vitro would improve nephron density and connectivity in next-generation kidney replacement tissues. Recent developments in kidney organoid technology have paved the way to achieving self-sustaining nephrogenic niches in vitro. The physical and geometric structure of the niche are key control parameters in tissue engineering approaches. However, their relationship to nephron differentiation is unclear. Here we investigate the relationship between niche geometry, cell compartment mixing, and nephron differentiation by targeting the Rho/ROCK pathway, a master regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. We find that the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 increases mixing between nephron progenitor and stromal compartments in native mouse embryo

SUBMITTER: Viola JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10659296 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature