Abstract
Apart from their endocrine functions renin-expressing cells play an important functional role as mural cells of the developing preglomerular arteriolar vessel tree in the kidney. The recruitment of renin-expressing cells from the mesenchyme to the vessel wall is not well understood. Assuming that it may follow more general lines of pericyte recruitment to endothelial tubes we have now investigated the relevance of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B-PDGFR-β signaling pathway in this context. We studied renin expression in kidneys lacking PDGFR-β in these cells and in kidneys with reduced endothelial PDGF-B expression. We found that expression of renin in the kidneys under normal and stimulated conditions was not different from wild-type kidneys. As expected, PDGFR-β immunoreactivity was found in mesangial, adventitial and tubulo-interstitial cells but not in renin-expressing cells. These findings suggest that the PDGF-B-PDGFR-β signaling pathway is not essential for the recruitment of renin-expressing cells to preglomerular vessel walls in the kidney.
Highlights
Renin-producing cells in the kidney fulfill multiple functions
Marked difference of renin mRNA abundance between the two genotypes at embryonic day 18 (E18) and in adults, a minor decrease in kidneys of Ren1d+/Cre-PDGFR-bfl/fl mice versus controls was observed at pp1
We looked for the overall distribution of renin expression in adult kidneys. 3D-reconstructions of the preglomerular vascular tree showed no obvious differences between the two genotypes (Fig. 3)
Summary
Renin-producing cells in the kidney fulfill multiple functions. Apart from their endocrine function as key regulators of the activity of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), renin-producing cells form the mural layers of the developing preglomerular vascular tree (Sauter et al 2008) and potentially regulate angiogenesis in the developing kidney (Reddi et al 1998). Renin-positive cells within the renal mesenchyme become visible at embryonic day 14 in the mouse kidney (Sequeira Lopez et al 2001). It is still an open question how renin-expressing cells are attracted to developing vessels to stabilize the vessel wall by forming mural cell layers. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society
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