title: Flying podocytes.
abstract: Recent insights have defined the central role of podocytes both in rare genetic diseases and as a general determinant of the progression of human glomerular diseases. In a recent issue of Nature, Weavers et al. described a podocyte-like cell type in Drosophila, the nephrocyte, that closely resembles mammalian podocytes, including the nephrin-based slit diaphragm. This novel podocyte system might open new avenues toward the understanding of podocyte biology and pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Tobias B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D050199:Podocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C113267:nephrin