Expression of allograft inflammatory factor-1 in kidneys: A novel molecular component of podocyte.
Our comprehensive gene expression profiles of the kidneys in an anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis model using DNA arrays revealed that allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) was one of the highly expressed genes. Here, we explored the pathological significance of AIF-1 expression in the kidneys. The expression pattern of AIF-1 mRNA and protein in the kidneys of normal and diseased rats, such as anti-GBM nephritis and puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis, was investigated by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and immunoelectron microscopy. Furthermore, the expression of AIF-1 in human kidneys and urinary sediments was examined. AIF-1 was expressed at both mRNA and protein levels in podocytes of normal and diseased rats, and in infiltrating cells in anti-GBM nephritis kidneys. The expression of AIF-1 in podocytes was constitutive; positive in podocytes of both normal and diseased rats. In humans, AIF-1 was expressed in podocytes and infiltrating inflammatory cells, similarly. Moreover, it was detected in urinary podocytes from patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy. These data document for the first time that AIF-1, a constitutively expressed protein in rat and human podocytes, is a novel molecular component of podocytes, and that the upregulation of AIF-1 in an anti-GBM nephritis model may mainly be a consequence of its expression in infiltrating cells.
Tsubata
Y
Y
Department of Clinical Nephrology and Rheumatology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
Sakatsume
M
M
Ogawa
A
A
Alchi
B
B
Kaneko
Y
Y
Kuroda
T
T
Kawachi
H
H
Narita
I
I
Yamamoto
T
T
Gejyo
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D050199:Podocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
C112986:AIF1 protein, human; C100745:Aif1 protein, rat; D015415:Biomarkers; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins