Developmental Programming of Branching Morphogenesis in the Kidney.

ABSTRACT: The kidney developmental program encodes the intricate branching and organization of approximately 1 million functional units (nephrons). Branching regulation is poorly understood, as is the source of a 10-fold variation in nephron number. Notably, low nephron count increases the risk for developing hypertension and renal failure. To better understand the source of this variation, we analyzed the complete gestational trajectory of mouse kidney development. We constructed a computerized architectural map of the branching process throughout fetal life and found that organogenesis is composed of two distinct developmental phases, each with stage-specific rate and morphologic parameters. The early phase is characterized by a rapid acceleration in branching rate and by branching divisions that

SUBMITTER: Sampogna RV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4587701 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature