Genetic Analysis Reveals an Unexpected Role of BMP7 in Initiation of Ureteric Bud Outgrowth in Mouse Embryos
2011
Unexpected Role of BMP7 in Kidney Development
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Gonçalves Alexandre, Zeller Rolf
Primary Institution: Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel Medical Faculty, Basel, Switzerland
Hypothesis
GREM1 antagonizes BMP7 during kidney organogenesis.
Conclusion
BMP7 has an unexpected inhibitory role during the initiation of ureteric bud outgrowth in kidney development.
Supporting Evidence
- GREM1 antagonizes both BMP4 and BMP7, reducing overall BMP activity.
- Restoration of ureteric bud outgrowth and branching was observed with Bmp7 inactivation.
- Kidneys lacking both Grem1 and Bmp7 were hypodysplastic, similar to Bmp7-deficient kidneys.
Takeaway
This study found that a protein called BMP7 stops kidney buds from growing properly, which is important for making kidneys in mice.
Methodology
Genetic inactivation of Bmp7 and Grem1 in mouse embryos was used to study their roles in kidney development.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on mouse models, which may not fully represent human kidney development.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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