PPARG contributes to urothelial integrity in the murine ureter by activating the expression of Shh and superficial cell-specific genes.

ABSTRACT: The urothelium is a stratified epithelium with an important barrier function in the urinary drainage system. The differentiation and maintenance of the three major urothelial cell types (basal, intermediate and superficial cells) is incompletely understood. Here, we show that mice with a conditional deletion of the transcription factor gene peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (Pparg) in the ureteric epithelium have a dilated ureter at postnatal stages with a urothelium consisting of a layer of undifferentiated luminal cells and a layer of proliferating basal cells. Molecular analysis of fetal stages revealed that the expression of a large number of genes is not activated in superficial cells and that of a few genes, including Shh, is not activated in intermediate and basal cel

SUBMITTER: Rudat C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12045629 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature