Podocytes (or visceral epithelial cells) are cells of the visceral epithelium in the kidneys and form a crucial component of the glomerular filtration barrier, contributing size selectivity and maintaining a massive filtration surface.
The 13A antigen
an integral membrane protein of several rat
epithelial tissues and cultured cells, and is particularly
abundant in the podocyte foot processes. Although its identity
and function remain unknown, the 13A protein is a valuable
marker for the basal membrane domain of the podocyte.
PMID: 7967507
alpha-actinin-4
interacts with integrins and strengthens the
podocyte-GBM interaction thereby stabilizing glomerular
architecture and preventing disease.
PMID: 17082197
B7-1
B7-1 in podocytes was found in genetic,
drug-induced, immune-mediated, and bacterial toxin-induced
experimental kidney diseases with nephrotic syndrome. The
clinical significance of our results is underscored by the
observation that podocyte expression of B7-1 correlated with the
severity of human lupus nephritis.
PMID: 15146236
damaged podocyte marker.
PMID: 16636193
CD2AP
highly expressed in podocytes and is
considered to play an important role in the maintenance of the
glomerular slit diaphragm.
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PMID: 15951437,
PMID: 11733379
CD2AP seems to be involved in the regulation
of highly dynamic F-actin structures in podocyte foot processes.
PMID: 11553524
CD10
a podocyte marker.
PMID: 16761013
Cortactin
a podocyte protein.
PMID: 15200416
Immunofluorescence labeling for actin-binding
proteins in immature podocyte showed that alpha-actinin was
localized at the level of the junctional complex, whereas
cortactin was distributed beneath the entire plasmalemma.
PMID: 14623927
Desmin
a
sensitive marker
of early podocyte
damage and for activated podocytes.
PMID: 16636193,
PMID: 15034095
Dystroglycan (DG)
Podocyte structure-related gene.
PMID: 17003339
In the kidney, dystroglycan (DG) has been
shown to cover the basolateral and apical membranes of the
podocyte. alpha-DG is heavily glycosilated, which is important
for its binding to laminin and agrin in the glomerular basement
membrane.
PMID: 16672922
alpha-DG covers the whole podocyte cell
membrane in the rat, and is expressed at both the basolateral
and apical sides of the podocyte. This localization suggests
that alpha-DG plays a dual role in the maintenance of the unique
architecture of podocytes by its binding to the glomerular
basement membrane, and in the maintenance of the integrity of
the filtration slit, respectively.
PMID: 15956031
The antibodies against alpha- and beta-dystroglycan
and utrophin revealed a granular podocyte-like staining pattern
along the glomerular capillary wall. With immunoelectron
microscopy, agrin was found in the glomerular basement membrane,
dystroglycan was diffusely found over the entire cell surface of
the podocytes, and utrophin was localized in the cytoplasm of
the podocyte foot processes.
PMID: 10793086
Ezrin
a potent marker of podocyte injury (podocytopathy)
and may help in the histological qualification of Minimal change
disease (MCD), diffuse mesangial proliferation (DMP) and focal
segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The increased permeability
of the filtration barrier in steroid-resistant and proteinuric
glomerulopathies may be a consequence of subcellular changes in
podocyte-associated proteins following decreased expression of
ezrin.
PMID: 16522749
ezrin protein (by immunohistochemistry) was
specifically and exclusively modulated during podocyte injury
and regeneration. Ezrin immunohistochemistry was able to
visualize cell body attenuation, pseudocysts, and in particular
vacuolation of injured podocytes, a feature that usually has to
be identified at the ultrastructural level, and was strikingly
increased in binucleated podocytes or podocytes that were
partially or completely detached from the underlying GBM
(frequently also binucleated). Infiltrating macrophages also
express ezrin, but can easily be differentiated from podocytes
by their round shape and higher level of expression. Since
suitable light microscopic markers for the identification of
glomerular epithelial cells are rare, ezrin may also be a useful
marker for podocytes in normal and injured glomeruli.
PMID: 9853258
FAT
a
podocyte-associated protein.
PMID: 16841182,
PMID: 15200416,
PMID: 11730159
GLEPP1 (Glomerular epithelial protein 1)
a podocyte receptor membrane protein tyrosine
phosphatase located on the apical cell membrane of visceral
glomerular epithelial cell and foot processes, is a useful
marker of acute podocyte injury.
PMID: 11961407
Lmx1b
a podocyte protein.
PMID: 15200416
play a role for in the regulation of collagen
IV expression and in the transcriptional regulation of podocyte
specification and differentiation.
PMID: 12602071
the LIM homeodomain transcription factor,
contributes to transcriptional regulation of glomerular basement
membrane collagen expression by podocytes.
PMID: 11978876
regulates the expression of multiple podocyte
genes critical for podocyte differentiation and function.
PMID: 11956244
MAP-LC3 (Microtubule-associated protein 1 light
chain 3)
especially expressed in the podocytes of rat
kidney as the membrane-bound form LC3-II. Biochemical analysis
using a conditionally immortalized mouse podocyte clone (MPC)
revealed that LC3-I is processed to LC3-II during the
differentiation of cells into mature podocytes and accumulates
in the membrane-rich fraction of the cell lysate.
LC3-II-localized vesicles play an important role in the
physiological function of podocytes.
PMID: 12709412
Myocilin
a 55 to 57 kD secreted glycoprotein and
member of the olfactomedin protein family, is expressed in
podocytes of the kidney and induced in mesangial cells during
experimental mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis.
PMID: 15610237
NEPH1
podocyte membrane protein of the Ig
superfamily.
PMID: 12660326
Nephrin
The
major podocyte protein, is podocyte
specific marker and has a crucial role in the filtration barrier
of the glomerular podocyte.
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PMID: 15996647
a crucial podocyte molecule in the kidney
glomerular filtration barrier and it is also expressed in
Langerhans islet beta cells of the pancreas.
PMID: 16841182
Nephrin is an Ig-like transmembrane protein.
It is a major component of the podocyte slit diaphragm and is
essential for maintaining normal glomerular permeability.
PMID: 11880318
a new protein of the interpodocyte filtration
slit area with a profound role in the pathophysiology of the
filtration barrier.
PMID: 10550324
a crucial podocyte molecule in the kidney
glomerular filtration barrier and it is also expressed in
Langerhans islet beta cells of the pancreas.
PMID: 16841182
P-cadherin
was seen at the basal margin of developing
podocytes.
PMID: 11106563
PHM-5 (podocalyxin-like
protein in humans)
marker specific for differentiating podocytes.
PMID: 10879738,
PMID: 9811343
Podocin
a podocyte-specific protein.
PMID: 15954902,
PMID: 15996647,
PMID: 11856766
Podoplanin
a glomerular podocyte membrane mucoprotein.
PMID: 16773315,
PMID: 16209358
a rat podocyte protein, plays a role in
maintaining the unique shape of podocytes.
PMID: 12032185
The 43-kD integral membrane protein
podoplanin is localized on the surface of rat podocytes, and
transcriptionally downregulated in rat puromycin nephrosis.
Podoplanin plays a role in maintaining the unique shape of
podocyte foot processes and glomerular permeability.
PMID: 9808087
Podocalyxin (PC)
the major
sialoglycoprotein expressed on the apical membrane of the
podocyte.
PMID: 15339978
a
well-known podocyte
specific marker, was
initially identified as a major sialoprotein on the apical
surface of glomerular podocytes to perform the filtration
barrier function. Later, it was reported to be expressed in
endothelial cells, megakaryotes/platelets, and hemangioblasts,
the common progenitor cells of the hematopoietic and endothelial
cells.
PMID: 17180683
Synaptopodin
a
podocyte specific
marker
T-/H-cadherin
(CDH13)
a
new marker for differentiating podocytes.
PMID: 16133358
VEGF
DDS (Denys-Drash syndrome) podocytes express
high levels of the proangiogenic isoform VEGF165, but completely
lack the inhibitory isoform VEGF165b.
PMID: 17267748
play a role in maintaining the podocyte
function as well as renal vasculature, thereby protecting
glomeruli and interstitium from progressive renal insults.
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Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A
is an autocrine survival factor for podocytes, which express two
VEGF receptors, VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R3.
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a key role for VEGF-A production in the
podocyte for mesangial cell survival and differentiation.
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VEGF is both produced by and acts upon the
podocyte in an autocrine manner to modulate podocyte function,
including the synthesis of GBM components.
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In non-sclerosed glomeruli (within podocyte
cytoplasm), VEGF-C1 was more expressed in podocytes of all
groups (P < 0.0002), while the distribution of synaptopodin was
less expressed in all groups (P < 0.0002).
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Vimentin
marker of podocyte maturity.
PMID: 12119471,
PMID: 9377221
well-established marker protein of podocytes.
PMID: 11473645
the podocyte intermediate cytoskeletal
protein.
PMID: 11086029
In control rats, tubulin and vimentin were
present, limited to the podocyte cell body and the major
processes.
PMID: 7952147
Vimentin and tubulin, the main protein
subunits of intermediate filaments and microtubules,
respectively, were confined to the podocyte cell body and the
major processes but were virtually absent from the foot
processes.
PMID: 3141719
Wilms'
tumor-1 protein (WT-1)
a
podocyte specific differentiation nuclear marker.
PMID: 14514726
an
excellent marker
of the normal mature differentiated
podocyte.
PMID: 14514726
a key regulator in
podocyte function.
PMID: 15579507
ZO-1 (zonula occludens-1)
a junctional protein
involved in the assembly and proper function of a number of
tight junctions and is also expressed at the junction of
podocytes with the slit diaphragm.
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physically associated
with actin in murine podocytes.
PMID: 16565484
Other
immunostaining kidney
sections with anti-C3bR antibody and urinary sediments with
anti-PCX, anti-C3bR, and anti-Int alpha3 antibodies might be
useful in detecting podocyte injury.
PMID: 9502567