MicroRNAs in kidney development and disease
Débora Malta Cerqueira, Maliha Tayeb, Jacqueline Ho
Débora Malta Cerqueira, Maliha Tayeb, Jacqueline Ho
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Review

MicroRNAs in kidney development and disease

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a class of endogenous small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, through both translational repression and mRNA destabilization. They are key regulators of kidney morphogenesis, modulating diverse biological processes in different renal cell lineages. Dysregulation of miRNA expression disrupts early kidney development and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of developmental kidney diseases. In this Review, we summarize current knowledge of miRNA biogenesis and function and discuss in detail the role of miRNAs in kidney morphogenesis and developmental kidney diseases, including congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and Wilms tumor. We conclude by discussing the utility of miRNAs as potentially novel biomarkers and therapeutic agents.

Authors

Débora Malta Cerqueira, Maliha Tayeb, Jacqueline Ho

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Figure 2

Schematic illustration of the stages of metanephric kidney development.

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Schematic illustration of the stages of metanephric kidney development. ...
Signals from the ureteric bud trigger condensation of the metanephric mesenchyme to form a cap of nephron progenitors (cap mesenchyme) around the ureteric bud tips. The cap mesenchyme undergoes a mesenchymal-epithelial transition to form renal vesicles, which develop sequentially into comma- and S-shaped bodies. These structures connect to the ureteric bud stalk, which give rises to the collecting duct. Cells in the proximal domain of the S-shaped body differentiate into specialized epithelial cells of the mature renal corpuscle (i.e., podocytes and Bowman’s capsule cells), while cells in the mid- and distal portions differentiate into the tubular segments of nephron (proximal tubules, loops of Henle, and distal tubules). Created with BioRender.com.