Planar cell polarity in kidney development and disease

Organogenesis. 2011 Jul-Sep;7(3):180-90. doi: 10.4161/org.7.3.18320. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

Abstract

Planar cell polarity (PCP) describes the coordinated polarization of tissue cells in a direction that is orthogonal to their apical/basal axis. In the last several years, studies in flies and vertebrates have defined evolutionarily conserved pathways that establish and maintain PCP in various cellular contexts. Defective responses to the polarizing signal(s) have deleterious effects on the development and repair of a wide variety of organs/tissues. In this review, we cover the known and hypothesized roles for PCP in the metanephric kidney. We highlight the similarities and differences in PCP establishment in this organ compared with flies, especially the role of Wnt signaling in this process. Finally, we present a model whereby the signal(s) that organizes PCP in the kidney epithelium, at least in part, comes from the adjacent stromal fibroblasts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Polarity / physiology*
  • Diptera / cytology
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Kidney / cytology*
  • Kidney / embryology
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Kidney Diseases, Cystic / metabolism
  • Kidney Diseases, Cystic / pathology*
  • Organogenesis
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • Wnt Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • Wnt Proteins