Patterning a Complex Organ: Branching Morphogenesis and Nephron Segmentation in Kidney Development

Overview

Journal Dev Cell

Publisher Cell Press

Specialties Cell Biology
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2010 May 25

PMID 20493806

Citations 358

Authors

Frank Costantini

Raphael Kopan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The two major components of the kidney, the collecting system and the nephron, have different developmental histories. The collecting system arises by the reiterated branching of a simple epithelial tube, while the nephron forms from a cloud of mesenchymal cells that coalesce into epithelial vesicles. Each develops into a morphologically complex and highly differentiated structure, and together they provide essential filtration and resorption functions. In this review, we will consider their embryological origin and the genes controlling their morphogenesis, patterning, and differentiation, with a focus on recent advances in several areas.

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