Human kidneys have many features in common with those of other species, but also unique properties. A detailed human–mouse comparison of the genetic programme governing early events in nephron formation has revealed interspecies differences that could explain how nephron number in adult kidneys is determined.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Vize, P. D. & Smith, H. W. A. Homeric view of kidney evolution: a reprint of H. W. Smith's classic essay with a new introduction. Anat. Rec. A Discov. Mol. Cell Evol. Biol. 277, 344–354 (2004).
Brenner, B. M., Garcia, D. L. & Anderson, S. Glomeruli and blood pressure: less of one, more the other? Am. J. Hypertens. 1, 335–347 (1988).
Bertram, J. F., Douglas-Denton, R. N., Diouf, B., Hughson, M. D. & Hoy, W. E. Human nephron number: implications for health and disease. Pediatr. Nephrol. 26, 1529–1533 (2011).
Cebrian, C., Asai, N., D'Agati, V. & Costantini, F. The number of fetal nephron progenitor cells limits ureteric branching and adult nephron endowment. Cell Rep. 7, 127–137 (2014).
Schuchardt, A., D'Agati, V., Pachnis, V. & Costantini, F. Renal agenesis and hypodysplasia in ret-k− mutant mice result from defects in ureteric bud development. Development 122, 1919–1929 (1996).
O'Brien, L. L. et al. Differential regulation of mouse and human nephron progenitors by the Six family of transcriptional regulators. Development 143, 595–608 (2016).
Xu, P. X. The EYA-SO/SIX complex in development and disease. Pediatr. Nephrol. 28, 843–854 (2013).
Senanayake, U. et al. The pluripotent renal stem cell regulator SIX2 is activated in renal neoplasms and influences cellular proliferation and migration. Hum. Pathol. 44, 336–345 (2013).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oxburgh, L. Unique genetic determinants of human kidney development. Nat Rev Urol 13, 304–305 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2016.87
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2016.87