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The Role of WT1 in Embryonic Development and Normal Organ Homeostasis

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The Wilms' Tumor (WT1) Gene

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1467))

Abstract

The Wilms’ tumor suppressor gene 1 (Wt1) is critically involved in a number of developmental processes in vertebrates, including cell differentiation, control of the epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, proliferation, and apoptosis. Wt1 proteins act as transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators, in mRNA splicing and in protein–protein interactions. Furthermore, Wt1 is involved in adult tissue homeostasis, kidney function, and cancer. For these reasons, Wt1 function has been extensively studied in a number of animal models to establish its spatiotemporal expression pattern and the developmental fate of the cells expressing this gene. In this chapter, we review the developmental anatomy of Wt1, collecting information about its dynamic expression in mesothelium, kidney, gonads, cardiovascular system, spleen, nervous system, lung, and liver. We also describe the adult expression of Wt1 in kidney podocytes, gonads, mesothelia, visceral adipose tissue, and a small fraction of bone marrow cells. We have reviewed the available animal models for Wt1-expressing cell lineage analysis, including direct Wt1 expression reporters and systems for permanent Wt1 lineage tracing, based on constitutive or inducible Cre recombinase expression under control of a Wt1 promoter. Finally we provide a number of laboratory protocols to be used with these animal models in order to assess reporter expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Bettina Wilm

  2. Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain

    Ramon Muñoz-Chapuli

Authors
  1. Bettina Wilm
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  2. Ramon Muñoz-Chapuli
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Correspondence to Bettina Wilm .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Nicholas Hastie

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Wilm, B., Muñoz-Chapuli, R. (2016). The Role of WT1 in Embryonic Development and Normal Organ Homeostasis. In: Hastie, N. (eds) The Wilms' Tumor (WT1) Gene. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1467. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-4023-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-4023-3_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-4021-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-4023-3

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