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Calcium Signaling in Glomerular Cells

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 11068

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
Interests: control of vascular reactivity by smooth muscle and endothelial cells and perivascular nerves; ion channels and GPCRs; acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease; calcium signaling; renal oxidative stress; neonatal renal hemodynamics

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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Interests: ion channels and transporters in the kidney; glomerulus in health and disease; pathophysiology of cardiorenal syndrome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The glomerulus, a network of specialized blood capillaries in the kidney, plays a significant role in regulating homeostasis via selective filtration of plasma and solutes. Four major cell types maintain the structural integrity and functions of the glomerulus: 1) podocytes, the terminally differentiated visceral epithelial cells that make up the outer surface of the filtration barrier, 2) endothelial cells that line the capillaries, 3) mesangial cells that support the capillary loops and 4) parietal epithelial cells that line the inside of Bowman’s capsule. The physiological functions of the glomerulus require tight interplays and multi-directional cross-talks amongst the glomerular cells, alterations of which have been implicated in a wide range of pathologies manifest in progressive loss of renal function.

Glomerular cells express several ion channels, including small, intermediate, and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+, transient receptor potential, Ca2+-activated Cl, and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. These channels regulate Ca2+-dependent functions, including contractility, monolayer integrity, survival, and gene expression.

The mechanisms that underlie cytoskeletal dynamics in podocytes include regulated Ca2+ homeostasis, mainly via the canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels. Alterations in Ca2+ signaling in podocytes have been linked to hereditary glomerulopathy and acquired proteinuric kidney disease. Similarly, pathological changes in Ca2+ signaling modalities and their downstream effectors have been proposed to be involved in glomerular endothelial dysfunction in severe diabetic kidney disease. Ca2+-dependent mesangial proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix accumulation contribute to the mechanisms that underlie glomerular derangement in disorders such as diabetes, multiple myeloma, IgA nephropathy, and lupus. However, the function and regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in Bowman’s capsule parietal epithelial cells are unclear.

Given the critical role of Ca2+-mediated signal transduction mechanisms in glomerular function and dysfunction, more rigorous investigations are necessary to improve the understanding of how the propagation of Ca2+-sensitive signaling cascades modulates glomerular cell structural and functional integrity in health and disease. Hence, this Special Issue will provide a platform for original regular research papers, short communications, and reviews on recent findings on ion channels and Ca2+ signaling in the glomerulus. The issue will encompass topics related to the structure, function, and regulation of Ca2+-permeable ion channels and their effectors in podocytes and glomerular endothelial, mesangial, and parietal epithelial cells.

Dr. Adebowale Adebiyi

Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Podocytes
  • Glomerular endothelial cells
  • Mesangial cells
  • Parietal epithelial cells
  • Ca2+ signaling
  • Ion channels
  • Kidney disease
  • Glomerulopathy
  • Proliferation
  • Cell death
  • Gene transcription
  • Cell cycle control
  • Filtration barrier

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1966 KiB  
Article
Doxorubicin-Induced Fetal Mesangial Cell Death Occurs Independently of TRPC6 Channel Upregulation but Involves Mitochondrial Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species
by Anberitha T. Matthews, Hitesh Soni, Katherine E. Robinson-Freeman, Theresa A. John, Randal K. Buddington and Adebowale Adebiyi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(14), 7589; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22147589 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2805
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX), a category D pregnancy drug, is a chemotherapeutic agent that has been shown in animal studies to induce fetal toxicity, including renal abnormalities. Upregulation of the transient receptor potential cation (TRPC) 6 channel is involved in DOX-induced podocyte apoptosis. We have [...] Read more.
Doxorubicin (DOX), a category D pregnancy drug, is a chemotherapeutic agent that has been shown in animal studies to induce fetal toxicity, including renal abnormalities. Upregulation of the transient receptor potential cation (TRPC) 6 channel is involved in DOX-induced podocyte apoptosis. We have previously reported that TRPC6-mediated Ca2+ signaling promotes neonatal glomerular mesangial cell (GMC) death. However, it is unknown whether DOX alters mesangial TRPC expression or viability in the fetus. In this study, cell growth was tracked in control and DOX-treated primary GMCs derived from fetal pigs. Live-cell imaging demonstrated that exposure to DOX inhibited the proliferation of fetal pig GMCs and induced cell death. DOX did not alter the TRPC3 expression levels. By contrast, TRPC6 protein expression in the cells was markedly reduced by DOX. DOX treatment also attenuated the TRPC6-mediated intracellular Ca2+ elevation. DOX stimulated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) generation and mitophagy by the GMCs. The DOX-induced mtROS generation and apoptosis were reversed by the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone. These data suggest that DOX-induced fetal pig GMC apoptosis is independent of TRPC6 channel upregulation but requires mtROS production. The mtROS-dependent GMC death may contribute to DOX-induced fetal nephrotoxicity when administered prenatally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Calcium Signaling in Glomerular Cells)
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12 pages, 2172 KiB  
Article
Cytoskeleton Rearrangements Modulate TRPC6 Channel Activity in Podocytes
by Alexey Shalygin, Leonid S. Shuyskiy, Ruslan Bohovyk, Oleg Palygin, Alexander Staruschenko and Elena Kaznacheyeva
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(9), 4396; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094396 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2901
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton of podocytes plays a central role in the functioning of the filtration barrier in the kidney. Calcium entry into podocytes via TRPC6 (Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 6) channels leads to actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, thereby affecting the filtration barrier. We hypothesized [...] Read more.
The actin cytoskeleton of podocytes plays a central role in the functioning of the filtration barrier in the kidney. Calcium entry into podocytes via TRPC6 (Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 6) channels leads to actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, thereby affecting the filtration barrier. We hypothesized that there is feedback from the cytoskeleton that modulates the activity of TRPC6 channels. Experiments using scanning ion-conductance microscopy demonstrated a change in migration properties in podocyte cell cultures treated with cytochalasin D, a pharmacological agent that disrupts the actin cytoskeleton. Cell-attached patch-clamp experiments revealed that cytochalasin D increases the activity of TRPC6 channels in CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells overexpressing the channel and in podocytes from freshly isolated glomeruli. Furthermore, it was previously reported that mutation in ACTN4, which encodes α-actinin-4, causes focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and solidifies the actin network in podocytes. Therefore, we tested whether α-actinin-4 regulates the activity of TRPC6 channels. We found that co-expression of mutant α-actinin-4 K255E with TRPC6 in CHO cells decreases TRPC6 channel activity. Therefore, our data demonstrate a direct interaction between the structure of the actin cytoskeleton and TRPC6 activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Calcium Signaling in Glomerular Cells)
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Review

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15 pages, 1297 KiB  
Review
Crosstalk between Renal and Vascular Calcium Signaling: The Link between Nephrolithiasis and Vascular Calcification
by Chan-Jung Liu, Chia-Wei Cheng, Yau-Sheng Tsai and Ho-Shiang Huang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(7), 3590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073590 - 30 Mar 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4218
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) is an important mediator of multicellular homeostasis and is involved in several diseases. The interplay among the kidney, bone, intestine, and parathyroid gland in Ca2+ homeostasis is strictly modulated by numerous hormones and signaling pathways. The calcium-sensing receptor [...] Read more.
Calcium (Ca2+) is an important mediator of multicellular homeostasis and is involved in several diseases. The interplay among the kidney, bone, intestine, and parathyroid gland in Ca2+ homeostasis is strictly modulated by numerous hormones and signaling pathways. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is a G protein–coupled receptor, that is expressed in calcitropic tissues such as the parathyroid gland and the kidney, plays a pivotal role in Ca2+ regulation. CaSR is important for renal Ca2+, as a mutation in this receptor leads to hypercalciuria and calcium nephrolithiasis. In addition, CaSR is also widely expressed in the vascular system, including vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and participates in the process of vascular calcification. Aberrant Ca2+ sensing by the kidney and VSMCs, owing to altered CaSR expression or function, is associated with the formation of nephrolithiasis and vascular calcification. Based on emerging epidemiological evidence, patients with nephrolithiasis have a higher risk of vascular calcification, but the exact mechanism linking the two conditions is unclear. However, a dysregulation in Ca2+ homeostasis and dysfunction in CaSR might be the connection between the two. This review summarizes renal calcium handling and calcium signaling in the vascular system, with a special focus on the link between nephrolithiasis and vascular calcification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Calcium Signaling in Glomerular Cells)
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