title: Cell adhesion molecules and extracellular-matrix constituents in kidney development and disease.
abstract: Functional analyses of cell-matrix interactions during kidney organogenesis have provided compelling evidence that extracellular-matrix glycoproteins and their receptors play instructive roles during kidney development. Two concepts are worthy of emphasis. First, matrix molecules appear to regulate signal transduction pathways, either by activating cell-surface receptors such as integrins directly or by modulating the activity of signaling molecules such as WNTs. Second, basement membranes are highly organized structures and have distinct molecular compositions, which are optimized for their diverse functions. The importance of these findings is highlighted by the fact that mutations affecting basement-membrane components lead to inherited forms of kidney disease.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institute, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland. umuller@fmi.ch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Brändli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins