Study on the construction and diversity of actin filaments as supporting structure of the glomerular podocytes

1)足细胞的形态发生和裂隙膜的分子构筑：我们制备了识别足细胞中间丝结合蛋白(P250)的单抗(P-31)。我们发现，在包括足细胞在内的各种细胞中发现的微管结合蛋白MAP4与神经元特有的MAP3在生物化学上是相同的。2)肾间质的特性：为了研究肾小球系膜细胞的收缩特性及其产生细胞外基质的能力，我们对AT1血管紧张素受体基因缺失突变小鼠的肾小球结构进行了电子显微镜观察。为了更好地了解肾间质的特点，我们对肝间质的超微结构进行了研究，发现有两类胶原纤维可能分别由成纤维细胞和胆管上皮细胞产生。3)肾血管的演变和发育：肾脏在结构和功能上与血管系统密切相关。它的演变和发展应放在维管系统的进化和发展的广泛背景下来解释。我们研究了人胎盘干绒毛血管系统的超微结构作为发育血管的模型，并首次鉴定了干绒毛内的动脉和静脉。我们还报道了肾血管系统的特点、发展和演变。

1)Morphogenesis of podocytes and molecular architecture of slit membrane : We produced a monoclonal antibody (P-31) recognizing a new protein associating the intermediate filaments of podocytes (p250). We found bioochemically that the microtubule associating protein MAP4 found in variety of cells including podocytes is identical to MAP3 specific for neurons. We found that the monoclonal antibody 5-1-6 formerly produced at Niigata University (Kidney Research Institute) recognized rat-type nephrin which is consituent of slit diaphragm in the human beings.2) Characteristics of interstitium as supporting structure of glomerulus : To investigate contractility of tile mesangial cells and their ability to produce extracellular matrices, we analyzed electron microscopically the glomerular structure of null mutant mice for the gene of AT1 receptor for angiotensin II.We studied the constituent cells of renal interstitium as well as the renal tubular basement membrane which constitute the boundary between interstitium and parenchyme. In order to understand better the characteristics of renal interstitium, we studied the ultrastructtue of hepatic interstitium and found two populations of collagen fibrils which are produced most probably by fibroblasts and biliary epithelial cells, respectively.3) Evolution and development of renal vasculature : The kidney is structurally and functionally in close association with the vascular system. Its evolution and development is to be interpreted in the broad context of evolution and development of the vascular system. We studied the ultrastrucrure of vasculature in the stem villi of human placenta as model of developing blood vessels, and identified for the first time the arteries and veins within the stem villi after their ulstrastructural characterization. We reported also the charactresitics, development and evolution of renovascular system.