The endocytic receptor megalin constitutes the main pathway for clearance of plasma proteins from the glomerular filtrate in the proximal tubules. However, little is know about the mechanisms that control receptor activity. A widely discussed hypothesis states that the intracellular domain (ICD) of megalin, released upon ligand binding, acts as a transcription regulator to suppress receptor expression - a mechanism proposed to safeguard the proximal tubules from protein overload. Here, we have put this hypothesis to the test by generating a mouse model co-expressing the soluble ICD and the full-length receptor. Despite pronounced expression in the proximal tubules, the ICD failed to exert any effects on renal proximal tubular function such as megalin expression, protein retrieval, or renal gene transcription. Thus, our data argue that the ICD does not play a role in regulation of megalin activity in vivo in the proximal tubules.
The soluble intracellular domain of megalin does not affect renal proximal tubular function in vivo.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc can induce pluripotency in mouse and human fibroblasts. We previously described direct reprogramming of adult mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) by Oct4 and either Klf4 or c-Myc. NSCs endogenously express Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 as well as several intermediate reprogramming markers. Here we report that exogenous expression of the germline-specific transcription factor Oct4 is sufficient to generate pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse NSCs. These one-factor induced pluripotent stem (1F iPS) cells are similar to embryonic stem cells in vitro and in vivo. Not only can these cells be efficiently differentiated into NSCs, cardiomyocytes and germ cells in vitro, but they are also capable of teratoma formation and germline transmission in vivo. Our results demonstrate that Oct4 is required and sufficient to directly reprogram NSCs to pluripotency.
Oct4-induced pluripotency in adult neural stem cells.
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