AJP - Renal Physiology, Vol 273, Issue 5 757-F767, Copyright © 1997 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Ureteric bud cells secrete multiple factors, including bFGF, which rescue renal progenitors from apoptosis

J. Barasch, J. Qiao, G. McWilliams, D. Chen, J. A. Oliver and D. Herzlinger
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Medicine, Cornell Medical School, New York, New York 10028, USA.

Kidney development requires reciprocal interactions between the ureteric bud and the metanephrogenic mesenchyme. Whereas survival of mesenchyme and development of nephrons from mesenchymal cells depends on signals from the invading ureteric bud, growth of the ureteric bud depends on signals from the mesenchyme. This codependency makes it difficult to identify molecules expressed by the ureteric bud that regulate mesenchymal growth. To determine how the ureteric bud signals the mesenchyme, we previously isolated ureteric bud cell lines (UB cells). These cells secrete soluble factors which rescue the mesenchyme from apoptosis. We now report that four heparin binding factors mediate this growth activity. One of these is basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which is synthesized by the ureteric bud when penetrating the mesenchyme. bFGF rescues three types of progenitors found in the mesenchyme: precursors of tubular epithelia, precursors of capillaries, and cells that regulate growth of the ureteric bud. These data suggest that the ureteric bud regulates the number of epithelia and vascular precursors that generate nephrons by secreting bFGF and other soluble factors.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Sims-Lucas, L. Cullen-McEwen, V. P. Eswarakumar, D. Hains, K. Kish, B. Becknell, J. Zhang, J. F. Bertram, F. Wang, and C. M. Bates Deletion of Frs2{alpha} from the ureteric epithelium causes renal hypoplasia Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, November 1, 2009; 297(5): F1208 - F1219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Z. Li, M. Jerebtsova, X.-H. Liu, P. Tang, and P. E. Ray Novel cystogenic role of basic fibroblast growth factor in developing rodent kidneys Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, August 1, 2006; 291(2): F289 - F296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Challen, B. Gardiner, G. Caruana, X. Kostoulias, G. Martinez, M. Crowe, D. F. Taylor, J. Bertram, M. Little, and S. M. Grimmond Temporal and spatial transcriptional programs in murine kidney development Physiol Genomics, October 17, 2005; 23(2): 159 - 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yang, K. Mori, J. Y. Li, and J. Barasch Iron, lipocalin, and kidney epithelia Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, July 1, 2003; 285(1): F9 - F18. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Hu, J. A. Oliver, M. R. Goldberg, and Q. Al-Awqati LRP: a new adhesion molecule for endothelial and smooth muscle cells Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, October 1, 2001; 281(4): F739 - F750. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Qiao, H. Sakurai, and S. K. Nigam Branching morphogenesis independent of mesenchymal-epithelial contact in the developing kidney PNAS, June 22, 1999; 96(13): 7330 - 7335. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]