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Clathrin and clathrin-accessory proteins in rat kidney cortex epithelia

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Abstract

Several vectorial transport routes in mammalian cells involve clathrin and associated proteins. In kidney epithelia urine production requires numerous transport processes. However, only little is known about the distribution of clathrin and its associated proteins in this organ in situ. We now report on the presence and distribution of clathrin and its accessory proteins AP1, AP2, Eps15, Epsin, CALM and Clint/EpsinR in the epithelia of the rat kidney cortex using immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy. Our data show that all investigated proteins are ubiquitously present in rat kidney cortex epithelia, however, with distinct distribution patterns. In the renal corpuscle, podocytes showed the most conspicuous labelling. Clathrin, AP2 and CALM were highly expressed in foot processes, while AP1 was primarily localized in the cell body. In the proximal tubule all proteins were present in dots along the plasma membrane and most conspicuous below the brush border. However, clathrin and AP2 co-localized in vesicle subtypes distinct from those containing clathrin and AP1. In the distal tubule and in the cortical collecting duct all proteins were found in the apex of the cells; however, AP1 and Clint/EpsinR showed additional staining in perinuclear dots. The occurrence and distribution of the investigated proteins in kidney epithelia are discussed with respect to their possible involvement in the functions of the specific nephron segment.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. M.S. Robinson who generously supplied the anti-Clint/EpsinR antibody. We would like to thank Ms. S. Fryk for linguistic correction of the manuscript and Ms. A. Hundt for photographic work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, OE 4130, Center of Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Sabine Hasse, Ernst J. Ungewickell & Stephanie Groos

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  1. Sabine Hasse
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  2. Ernst J. Ungewickell
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  3. Stephanie Groos
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Correspondence to Stephanie Groos.

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Preliminary results were presented at the 28th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Cell Biology, March 16th–19th 2005, Heidelberg, Germany.

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Hasse, S., Ungewickell, E.J. & Groos, S. Clathrin and clathrin-accessory proteins in rat kidney cortex epithelia. Histochem Cell Biol 126, 219–229 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-006-0169-2

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