Recent Advances in Elucidating the Genetic Mechanisms of Nephrogenesis Using Zebrafish

Abstract

The kidney is comprised of working units known as nephrons, which are epithelial tubules that contain a series of specialized cell types organized into a precise pattern of functionally distinct segment domains. There is a limited understanding of the genetic mechanisms that establish these discrete nephron cell types during renal development. The zebrafish embryonic kidney serves as a simplified yet conserved vertebrate model to delineate how nephron segments are patterned from renal progenitors. Here, we provide a concise review of recent advances in this emerging field, and discuss how continued research using zebrafish genetics can be applied to gain insights about nephrogenesis.

Keywords

• aPKC
• kidney development
• hnf1ba/b
• mecom
• nephron segmentation
• renal progenitor
• sim1a
• tubulogenesis
• vertebrate
• zebrafish