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The Role of Notch Signaling in Kidney Development and Disease

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Book cover Notch Signaling in Embryology and Cancer

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 727))

Abstract

The kidney is the body’s filter, responsible for the removal of metabolic waste and the excretion or reabsorption of electrolytes to control blood composition and pH balance. The functional unit of this filter is the nephron, whose segmented architecture has been largely conserved in form and function throughout eukaryotic evolution. Not surprisingly, the core developmental pathways that regulate the formation of the nephron have also been conserved. In particular, the Notch signaling pathway functions in both primitive and advanced nephrons to pattern domains required for the kidney’s diverse functions. In this chapter, we will discuss the role that Notch plays in directing cell fate decisions during embryonic development of the pronephros and metanephros. We will go on to discuss the later role of Notch signaling as a cyst-suppressor and the consequences of aberrant or absent Notch activity in disease and cancer. The work discussed here highlights the fundamental importance of Notch during development and homeostasis of the kidney and underlies the need for mechanistic understanding of its role towards the treatment of human disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA

    Hila Barak, Kameswaran Surendran & Scott C. Boyle

Authors
  1. Hila Barak
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  2. Kameswaran Surendran
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  3. Scott C. Boyle
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hila Barak .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, The Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany

    Jörg Reichrath

  2. Department of Internal Medicine I, The Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany

    Sandra Reichrath

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Barak, H., Surendran, K., Boyle, S.C. (2012). The Role of Notch Signaling in Kidney Development and Disease. In: Reichrath, J., Reichrath, S. (eds) Notch Signaling in Embryology and Cancer. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 727. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0899-4_8

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