Renal tubular differentiation in mouse and mouse metanephric culture. I. Ultrastructural studies.
We studied the morphologic features of renal tubular differentiation in transfilter metanephric culture. Differentiation of portions of the S-shaped loop into proximal convoluted tubule was detected shortly after 72 h of culture by the appearance of microvilli, coated membrane invaginations, and an apical vacuolar-microtubular network. These features developed synchronously, and the microvilli became progressively more numerous and more compact to form a brush border. Computer-assisted morphometric analysis showed only minor differences between proximal tubular cells from 18-day embryos and tubular cells from 7-day cultures of blastema taken from 11-day embryos. Segments of tubule corresponding to distal convoluted tubules were lined with relatively simple cells that contained few differentiating characteristics. Morphometric modeling of the tubular cells indicated a simple shape consistent with an inherent transport function.
Furuse
A
A
Department of Anatomic Pathology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48072.
Bernstein
J
J
Welling
L W
LW
Welling
D J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D046508:Culture Techniques; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron