What determines glomerular capillary permeability?
There have been exciting recent advances in our understanding of the structural and molecular biology of the glomerular slit diaphragm, as described in a report in this issue of the JCI. These findings, combined with data on the permeability of the basement membrane and evidence that the endothelium may be a more important barrier than often supposed, are allowing a clearer understanding to emerge of how the 3 parts of the glomerular capillary wall jointly determine its functional properties.
Deen
William M
WM
Department of Chemical Engineering, Division of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. wmdeen@mit.edu
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002196:Capillaries / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C113267:nephrin