Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0033687 (proteinuria)
24,015 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recently, nephrin, podocin, alpha-actinin, and WT1, which are located at the slit diaphragm and expressed by the podocyte, were found to be causative in congenital/familial nephrotic syndrome (NS), but their role in acquired NS remains unclear. We studied their expression in NS with the aim of disclosing their possible role in the development of proteinuria. Immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, and image analysis were used to study the expression and the distribution in 19 children with primary NS, 9 with isolated hematuria, and 9 controls. All the children with NS presented with heavy proteinuria and foot process effacement was identified by electron microscopy. No proteinuria and foot process effacement was seen in the group with hematuria. A dramatic decrease of podocin expression was found in NS (86.66+/-22.74) compared with control groups ( P=0.014). Furthermore, we also found the pattern of distribution of nephrin, podocin, and alpha-actinin changed in children with NS. In conclusion, a dramatic decrease of podocin expression and abnormal distribution of nephrin, podocin, and alpha-actinin were found in children with NS. No differences were found in children with isolated hematuria, suggesting involvement of these molecules in the development of proteinuria in primary NS.
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PMID:Expression of nephrin, podocin, alpha-actinin, and WT1 in children with nephrotic syndrome. 1296 Oct 83

Nephrin, podocin and alpha-actinin are all involved in proteinuria, but it is unclear which molecular event plays a crucial role during the development of proteinuria. Immunofluorescence staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to study the glomerular expression of these molecules in puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephrosis. Morphometric methods were applied to evaluate the podocyte foot process (FP) morphology. Two days after PAN injection, nephrin and podocin staining became discontinuous, podocin intensity decreased and FP swelled. Nephrin protein and mRNA decreased at day 5. Both podocin and nephrin intensity decreased dramatically when heavy proteinuria occurred, but nephrin mRNA was regained. When proteinuria disappeared, podocin recovered whereas nephrin did not (P = 0.02); alpha-actinin intensity increased (P = 0.009) and the distribution changed. The podocyte FP volume density correlated negatively with nephrin (r = -0.78, P = 0.0001) and podocin immunofluorescence intensity (r = -0.76, P = 0.0001). We conclude that, before the onset of proteinuria, the first response was the nephrin and podocin distribution change, podocin protein decrease and swollen FP; the podocin quantitative change was earlier than nephrin. Podocin and nephrin distribution and the protein level was associated with proteinuria more closely than their mRNA level. The delayed alpha-actinin induction might be a reparative response.
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PMID:Key molecular events in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis rats. 1536 39

Recently, the novel podocyte proteins podocin, nephrin, and alpha-actinin-4 have been identified in three congenital/family nephrotic syndromes, respectively. Further studies showed that these podocyte proteins were involved in some acquired nephrotic syndromes and various experimental models of proteinuria. However, the molecular interactions among these podocyte proteins remain unclear. In this study, to investigate the molecular interactions among podocin, nephrin, and alpha-actinin-4, we reconstructed the RNA interference (RNAi) expression vector, pSilencer 2.1-U6, specifically targeting podocin mRNA, and it was transfected into the mouse podocyte clone (MPC5). Immunofluorescence staining, double-immunolabeling, confocal microscopy, semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blotting were used to detect the distribution and expression of podocin, nephrin, alpha-actinin-4, and glyseraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)/beta-actin. The fluorescence intensity of podocin and nephrin decreased obviously, along with the evident distribution change from the cell membrane surface to the nucleus circumference in podocyte. In relation to GAPDH, the mRNA reductions of podocin and nephrin were observed by about 65% and 70%, respectively. The expression of podocin protein was too low to be detected in the interference group. In relation to beta-actin, the protein level of nephrin decreased by about 78%. The distribution and the mRNA and protein level of alpha-actinin showed no appreciable change. Alpha-actinin localized mainly in the cytoplasm and also extended to the processes. Thus, the significant decreased expression of nephrin along with the redistribution were detected with the knockdown of podocin mRNA, whereas the expression and distribution of alpha-actinin-4 showed no change. These results suggest that podocin may interact directly with nephrin, but not with alpha-actinin.
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PMID:Effect of the knockdown of podocin mRNA on nephrin and alpha-actinin in mouse podocyte. 1538 93

The glomerular filtration barrier is composed of endothelial cells, basement membrane, and podocytes. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular structure of the filtration barrier and its relation to the effectiveness of the barrier function. The glomerular basement membrane is composed of a multitude of proteins, including collagen IV, heparan sulfate proteoglycans, and laminin, among others. The slit diaphragm, which is seen as a membrane covering the space between adjacent foot processes close to the basement membrane, is an extremely important structure with a crucial role in permselectivity of the filtration barrier. Its composition is now understood to consist primarily of a unique protein called nephrin. Mutations in the gene-encoding nephrin are known to result in the Finnish type of nephrotic syndrome. The exact mechanism by which nephrin controls permselectivity is not yet clear, but it is known to interact with several podocyte proteins including CD2AP, podocin, and alpha-actinin-4. Abnormalities of any of these proteins may result in proteinuria. The role of nephrin and its associated proteins in the pathogenesis of common acquired glomerulopathies in humans is still under investigation. Normal function of podocyte also depends upon maintaining a fully mature and terminally differentiated phenotype. A host of transcription factors, especially WT1 and PAX2, play a significant role in modulating podocyte function.
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PMID:Molecular basis of proteinuria. 1550 31

Nephrin is a cell surface receptor of the Ig superfamily that localizes to slit diaphragms, the specialized junctions between the interdigitating foot processes of the glomerular epithelium (podocytes) in the kidney. Mutations in the NPHS1 gene encoding nephrin lead to proteinuria and congenital nephrotic syndrome, indicating that nephrin is essential for normal glomerular development and function. To identify nephrin-binding proteins, we performed mass spectrometry on proteins obtained from pull-down assays with GST-nephrin cytoplasmic domain. Nephrin specifically pulled down six proteins from glomerular lysates, MAGI-2/S-SCAM (membrane-associated guanylate kinase inverted 2/synaptic scaffolding molecule), IQGAP1 (IQ motif-containingGTPase-activatingprotein1),CASK(calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase), alpha-actinin, alphaII spectrin, and betaII spectrin. All of these scaffolding proteins are often associated with cell junctions. By immunofluorescence these proteins are expressed in glomerular epithelial cells, where they colocalize with nephrin in the foot processes. During glomerular development, IQGAP1 is expressed in the junctional complexes between the earliest identifiable podocytes, MAGI-2/S-SCAM is first detected in junctional complexes in podocytes after their migration to the base of the cells. Thus, the nephrin-slit diaphragm protein complex contains a group of scaffolding proteins that function to connect junctional membrane proteins to the actin cytoskeleton and signaling cascades. Despite their special morphology and function, there is considerable compositional similarity between the podocyte slit diaphragm and typical junctional complexes of other epithelial cells.
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PMID:Cell junction-associated proteins IQGAP1, MAGI-2, CASK, spectrins, and alpha-actinin are components of the nephrin multiprotein complex. 1599 32

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the most common primary glomerular diagnosis resulting in end-stage renal disease. Defects in several podocyte proteins have been implicated in the etiology of FSGS, including podocin, alpha-actinin-4, CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), and TRPC6. Despite our growing understanding of genes involved in the pathogenesis of focal segmental sclerosis, the vast majority of patients with this disease, even those with a familial linkage, lack a clear genetic diagnosis. Here, we tested whether combinations of genetic heterozygosity (bigenic heterozygosity) that alone do not result in clinical kidney disease could function together to enhance susceptibility to glomerular damage and FSGS. Combinations of Cd2ap heterozygosity and heterozygosity of either synaptopodin (Synpo) or Fyn proto-oncogene (Fyn) but not kin of IRRE like 1 (Neph1) resulted in spontaneous proteinuria and in FSGS-like glomerular damage. These genetic interactions were also reflected at a functional level, as we found that CD2AP associates with Fyn and Synpo but not with Neph1. This demonstrates that bigenic heterozygosity can lead to FSGS and suggests that combined mutations in 2 or multiple podocyte genes may be a common etiology for glomerular disease.
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PMID:Bigenic mouse models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis involving pairwise interaction of CD2AP, Fyn, and synaptopodin. 1662 51

Nephrin, podocin, CD2AP, and alpha-actinin-4 are important podocyte proteins that help maintain the integrity of the slit diaphragm and prevent proteinuria. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, glucocorticoids, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) have antiproteinuric effects. However, it is still unclear whether these drugs, with different pharmacological mechanisms, lead to a reduction in proteinuria by changing the expression and distribution of these important podocyte proteins. In this study, changes in the expression and distribution of nephrin, podocin, CD2AP, and alpha-actinin-4 were dynamically detected in Adriamycin-induced nephrotic (ADR) rats treated with three different drugs: lisinopril, prednisone, and ATRA. Nephropathy was induced by an intravenous injection of Adriamycin. After Adriamycin injection, rats received lisinopril, prednisone, and ATRA treatment, respectively. Renal tissues were collected at Days 3, 7, 14, and 28. The distribution and the expression of messenger RNA and protein of nephrin, podocin, CD2AP, and alpha-actinin-4 were detected by indirect immunofluorescence, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting, respectively. With the intervention of lisinopril, prednisone, and ATRA, changes in the expression of nephrin, podocin, and CD2AP were diverse, which was different from that detected in ADR rats. After lisinopril and prednisone intervention, podocin exhibited prominent earlier changes compared with those of nephrin and CD2AP, whereas CD2AP showed more prominent changes after ATRA intervention. There was no change in the expression of alpha-actinin-4 molecule. In summary, we conclude that the antiproteinuric effects of lisinopril, prednisone, and ATRA were achieved by changes in the expression and distribution of the important podocyte molecules nephrin, podocin, CD2AP, and alpha-actinin-4. The pattern in the change of podocyte molecules after lisinopril and prednisone intervention was similar, but the pattern in the change of podocyte molecules after ATRA intervention was different from that of lisinopril or prednisone intervention.
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PMID:Diversities of podocyte molecular changes induced by different antiproteinuria drugs. 1663 7

CD2AP, alpha-actinin-4 and podocalyxin are thought to play an important role in the structure and function of glomerular podocytes, therefore we intended to evaluate quantitatively, using computer image analysis system, the immunoexpression of these proteins in renal biopsy specimens in glomerulopathies presented with nephrotic syndrome: minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and nephropathy IgA (IgAN). As a control 10 biopsy specimens of the kidneys removed because of trauma were used. In normal kidneys CD2AP, alpha-actinin-4, and podocalyxin showed intense staining in podocytes along the capillary walls of the glomeruli. The intensity of immunoexpression of CD2AP and alpha-actinin-4 in renal tissue in patients with MCD, FSGS, and IgAN was similar to normal controls, but the distribution of these proteins was more granular in glomeruli of diseased kidney. The immunostaining of podocalyxin was weaker in podocytes in patients with FSGS as compared with normal glomeruli. The immunostaining of podocalyxin was not significantly altered in MCD and IgAN. The immunostaining of CD2AP and alpha-actinin-4 did not correlate with the intensity of proteinuria in patients with MCD, FSGS and IgAN, whilst in FSGS patients the significant correlation was found between the glomerular immunostaining of podocalyxin and proteinuria. In conclusion, revealed in our study diminished immunoexpression of podocalyxin and significant correlation with the level of proteinuria in FSGS patients suggests a possible role of this sialoprotein in the alteration of the glomerular filtration barrier in this disease.
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PMID:Immunoexpression of podocyte-associated proteins in acquired human glomerulopathies with nephrotic syndrome. 1673 78

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most frequent syndromes characterized namely by heavy proteinuria. Majority of NS occurs as a sporadic form, the incidence of familial cases is from 3 to 5%. Seven genes have been recognized till present, which mutations are responsible for severe forms of NS: NPHS1, NPHS2, ACTN4, CD2AP and WT1, TRPC6, LAMB2. Proteins encoded by these genes (nephrin, podocin, alpha-actinin-4, an adapter protein anchoring CD2 and others) influence the function of the podocytes. In cases of mutation in NPHS1 gene, causing congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type (CNF), resistance to steroid therapy occurs regularly and recurrence of proteinuria after renal transplantation is about 20-25%. Mutations in NPHS2 gene lead to autosomal recessive steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (histologically focal segmental glomerulosclerosis). It was concluded that patients with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) with homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in NPHS2 have reduced risk for recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in renal transplant (only 8% in comparison with 35% in patients without mutation in NPHS2). A functional polymorphism of NPHS2 gene--R229Q was associated with a late-onset nephrotic syndrome and also with an increased risk of microalbuminuria in the general population. The R229Q variant encodes a protein with lower affinity for binding nephrin. This polymorphism appears to enhance susceptibility to FSGS in association with a second mutant NPHS2 allele. There are also 3 genetic loci connected with autosomal dominant forms of FSGS: ACTN4, TRPC6 and CD2AP (found only in the mice models). These forms of FSGS differ from the recessive form by later-onset and more slowly progressive course of the disease; these mutations seem to be responsible for only a fraction of the autosomal dominant pattern of FSGS.
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PMID:Genetic basis of nephrotic syndrome--review. 1675 99

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of proteinuria and congenital nephrotic syndrome. However, the function of ILK in glomerular podocyte in a physiologic setting remains unknown. In this study, a mouse model was generated in which ILK gene was selectively disrupted in podocytes by using the Cre-LoxP system. Podocyte-specific ablation of ILK resulted in heavy albuminuria, glomerulosclerosis, and kidney failure, which led to animal death beginning at 10 wk of age. Podocyte detachment and apoptosis were not observed at 4 wk of age, when albuminuria became prominent, indicating that they are not the initial cause of proteinuria. Electron microscopy revealed an early foot process effacement, as well as morphologic abnormality, in ILK-deficient podocytes. ILK deficiency caused an aberrant distribution of nephrin and alpha-actinin-4 in podocytes, whereas the localization of podocin and synaptopodin remained relatively intact. Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that ILK physically interacted with nephrin to form a ternary complex, and alpha-actinin-4 participated in ILK/nephrin complex formation. Therefore, ILK plays an essential role in specifying nephrin and alpha-actinin-4 distribution and in maintaining the slit diaphragm integrity and podocyte architecture. These results also illustrate that the integrin and slit diaphragm signals in podocytes are intrinsically coupled through an ILK-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Essential role of integrin-linked kinase in podocyte biology: Bridging the integrin and slit diaphragm signaling. 1683 31


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