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Nephrol Dial Transplant (2002) 17: 20-22
© 2002 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association

Podocytes

Molecular structure and function of the slit diaphragm: expression of nephrin in proteinuric states and in developing glomeruli

Hiroshi Kawachi, Hiroko Koike and Fujio Shimizu

Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Nephrology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan

Abstract

Nephrin is identified as a product of the gene mutated in a patient with congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type. To analyse the function of nephrin and the relationship of nephrin and the target antigen of nephritogenic anti-rat slit diaphragm monoclonal antibody (mAb) 5-1-6, the rat homologue of nephrin was cloned. The deduced amino acid sequence of rat nephrin shows 82.2% homology to human nephrin. Signal sequences of rat nephrin are 36 amino acids, whereas those of human nephrin are reported to be 22 amino acids. The localization of rat nephrin always coincided with that of mAb 5-1-6 antigen. The specific anti-nephrin antibody recognized the mAb 5-1-6-antigen complex. mAb 5-1-6 reacted with COS cells transfected with rat nephrin cDNA. These results demonstrate that nephritogenic mAb 5-1-6 identifies the extracellular domain of rat nephrin, thereby documenting that nephrin is a functional protein of the slit diaphragm. The staining pattern of nephrin shifted from a linear-like pattern to a discontinuous coarse granular pattern not only in mAb 5-1-6-induced nephropathy, but also in puromycin aminonucleoside nephropathy, adriamycin nephropathy and passive Heymann nephropathy. Rat nephrin is detected first on the basal and lateral side below the junctional complex at the S-shaped body stage. With the interdigitation of foot processes, nephrin becomes concentrated in the slit pore, and finally restricted in the site of the slit diaphragm bridging two adjacent foot processes.

Keywords: monoclonal antibody 5-1-6; nephrin; proteinuria; slit diaphragm; ZO-1

Notes

Correspondence and offprint requests to: Hiroshi Kawachi, MD, PhD, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Nephrology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1–757 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata 951-8510. Japan.


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