Role of vinculin in the process of collective migration of the nephrogenic ureteric bud (UB) cells in the rat kidney

MARQUEZ MARIA GABRIELA; GUAYTIMA EDITH; BRANDAN YAMILA; FAVALE NICOLAS; PESCIO LUCILA; STERIN-SPEZIALE, NORMA

Puerto Madryn, Chubut

Congreso; XLVI REUNIÓN ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIONES BIOQUÍMICAS Y DE BIOLOGÍA MOLECULAR (SAIB); 2010

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIONES BIOQUÍMICAS Y DE BIOLOGÍA MOLECULAR (SAIB)

In mammals, nephrogenesis is completed posnatally. In this work, we studied the role of vinculin in the process of collective migration of UB cells. We made primary cultures of renal papillary collecting duct/UB cells of 7 days-old rats, and studied the expression of vinculin and actin cytoskeleton by immunofluorescence. We observed isolated cells making contact by filopodia and long membrane prolongations, and colonies of cells with migratory phenotype. Some border cells contained greater amount of vinculin than the rest of cells, and marginal semicircular bundles of actin, recruited by vinculin located in the plasma membrane. A selective Rho-kinase inhibitor abrogated the accumulation of vinculin in border cells. These results indicate that UB cells display a great capacity to form colonies and to migrate collectively. We interpret that vinculin accumulation, and the recruitment of actin filaments, only occurs in those cells whose function is the one to indicate the direction of the collective migration of the UB cells, which is a Rho - dependent mechanism. This behavior could explain the advance of the UB from papilla to renal cortex where takes place the mutual induction between the metanephric mesenchyme (MM) and UB cells, and as a result MM undergoes mesenchymal?epithelial conversion to gives rise to the nephron, and the UB gives rises to the renal collecting duct system.