Project description:The overall goal of this study is to determine the small non-coding RNA expression profile in developing mouse nephron progenitors and whole kidney. Using a limited digestion and negative selection approach, an enriched fraction of nephron progenitors were isolated from E15.5 whole kidney samples followed by small RNA-Sequencing (sRNA-Seq). A total of 3 biological replicates of mouse nephron progenitors and whole kidney samples were used for the sRNA-Seq. The NEBNext Multiplex Small RNA Library Prep Kit allowed us to prepare sequencing libraries from as little as 100ng total RNA. Multiplex sequencing was performed using the Illumina NextSeq 550 system with 50bp single reads, resulting in approximately 18 million reads per sample. Reads were aligned to the mm10 genome using Bowtie2, and the miRDeep2 software package was used to identify and quantify known and novel micro RNA (miRNA) within our sRNA-seq libraries. Differential expression analysis of miRNA expression between nephron progenitor and whole kidney samples identified 162 differentially expressed miRNAs (padj <= 0.05).
Project description:mIRNA expression profiling of mouse embryonic nephron progenitors at embryonic day 14 isolated by GFP expression driven by Six2-TGC (transgenic mouse line), compared to whole embryonic kidney at day 14
Project description:The kidney is a complex organ composed of more than 30 terminally differentiated cell types that all are required to perform its numerous homeostatic functions. De-fects in kidney development are a significant cause of chronic kidney disease in children, which can lead to kidney failure that can only be treated by transplant or dialysis. A better understanding of molecular mechanisms that drive kidney development is important for designing strategies to enhance renal repair and regeneration. In this study, we profiled gene expression in the developing mouse kidney at embryonic day 14.5 at single cell resolution. Consistent with previous studies, clusters with distinct transcriptional signatures clearly identify major compartments and cell types of the developing kidney. Cell cycle activity distinguishes between the “primed” and “self-renewing” sub-populations of nephron progenitors, with increased expression of the cell cycle related genes Birc5, Cdca3, Smc2 and Smc4 in “primed” nephron progenitors. Augmented Birc5 expression was also detected in immature distal tubules and a sub-set of ureteric bud cells, suggesting that Birc5 might be a novel key molecule required for early events of nephron patterning and tubular fusion between the distal nephron and the collecting duct epithelia.
Project description:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
Project description:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from seven Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Brain, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
Project description:During mammalian kidney development, mesenchymal nephron progenitors (cap mesenchyme) differentiate into the epithelial cells that go on to form the nephron. Although differentiation of nephron progenitors is triggered by activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling, constitutive activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling blocks epithelialization of nephron progenitors. Full epithelialization of nephron progenitors requires transient activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling. We performed transcriptional profiling of nephron progenitors responding to constitutive or transient activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Nephron progenitors were FACS-isolated from BAC transgenic Six2GFPcre-positive embryonic kidneys at E16.5. Cells were aggregated by centrifugation at 850g for 5min and incubated in 10%FBS/DMEM containing either 4uM BIO or the equal volume of DMSO for 24hrs or 48hrs.
Project description:During kidney development, Notch signaling plays multiple roles including promoting differentiation of nephron progenitors that give rise to all of the epithelial cells found in the nephron. Little is known about what genes Notch signaling regulates and how Notch signaling interacts with other transcription factors. To address this, we carried out genome-wide mapping of Notch2, a major Notch receptor required for differentiation of nephron progenitors, in the embryonic kidney.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Multipotent stem cells and their lineage-restricted progeny drive nephron formation within the developing kidney. Validated markers of these early stem/progenitor populations are essential for deciphering their in vivo function and for evaluating their clinical potential for treating adult kidney disease. Here, we document expression of the adult stem cell marker Lgr5 in the developing kidney and assess the stem/progenitor identity of Lgr5+ve cells via in vivo lineage tracing. The appearance and localization of Lgr5+ve cells coincided with that of the S-shaped body around E14. Lgr5 expression remained restricted to cell clusters within developing nephrons in the cortex until P7, when expression was permanently silenced. In vivo lineage tracing identified Lgr5 as a marker of a novel progenitor population within nascent nephrons dedicated to generating the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop and distal convoluted tubule. The Lgr5 surface marker and experimental models described here will be invaluable for deciphering the contribution of early nephron stem cells to developmental defects and for isolating human nephron progenitors as a prerequisite to evaluating their therapeutic potential. Metanephric kidneys of timed pregnancies of ~14 days of gestation were harvested and cultured for ~10 days. Lgr5-EGFP-Ires-CreERT2-positive embryonic kidneys were identified by fluorescence microscopy and enzymatically digested to a single cell solution. GFPhi and GFPneg cells were sorted by flow cytometry (MoFlo; Dako). RNA, isolated using RNeasy (Qiagen), was analyzed using the Affymetrix platform.