Kidney Ontogenesis: Roles of Fgf8 signalling and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

A developing organ requires interactions between different cell types, which may lead to cell proliferation, cell differentiation, or cell migration. These processes are controlled by signalling molecules. In this work, role of a signalling factor (Fgf8) was studied in embryonic kidney development. Fgf8 is required by progenitor cells of the kidney to form a condensate around the epithelial structure which will form part of the filtration unit of the kidney (called nephron). The deletion of Fgf8 leads to smaller kidneys with immature nephron and causes death postnatally in mice. Also, in this work, the role of immune cells in embryonic kidney development was investigated. Immune cells do not play critical role in embryonic kidney development.