title: Analysis of Kif5b expression during mouse kidney development.
abstract: Recent studies showed that kidney-specific inactivation of Kif3a produces kidney cysts and renal failure, suggesting that kinesin-mediated intracellular transportation is important for the establishement and maintenance of renal epithelial cell polarity and normal nephron functions. Kif5b, one of the most conserved kinesin heavy chain, is the mouse homologue of the human ubiquitous Kinesin Heavy Chain (uKHC). In order to elucidate the role of Kif5b in kidney development and function, it is essential to establish its expression profile within the organ. Therefore, in this study, we examined the expression pattern of Kif5b in mouse kidney. Kidneys from embryonic (E) 12.5-, 16.5-dpc (days post coitus) mouse fetuses, from postnatal (P) day 0, 10, 20 pups and from adult mice were collected. The distribution of Kif5b was analyzed by immunostaining. The possible involvement of Kif5b in kidney development was investigated in conditional mutant mice by using a Cre-LoxP strategy. This study showed that the distribution of Kif5b displayed spatiotemporal changes during postnatal kidney development. In kidneys of new born mice, Kif5b was strongly expressed in all developing tubules and in the ureteric bud, but not in the glomerulus or in other early-developing structures, such as the cap mesenchyme, the comma-shaped body, and the S-shaped body. In kidneys of postnatal day 20 or of older mice, however, Kif5b was localized selectively in the basolateral domain of epithelial cells of the thick ascending loop of Henle, as well as of the distal convoluted tubule, with little expression being observed in the proximal tubule or in the collecting duct. Conditional knock-down of Kif5b in mouse kidney did not result in detectable morphological defects, but it did lead to a decrease in cell proliferation rate and also to a mislocalization of Na+/K+/-ATPase, indicating that although Kif5b is non-essential for kidney morphogenesis, it is important for nephron maturation.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China; Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Xiuling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wenqian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Raozhou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Mengfei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Guixia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; The Centre for Synthetic Biology Engineering Research, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D016547:Kinesins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C475469:Kif5b protein, mouse; D016547:Kinesins; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase