BMP Signaling in Kidney Epithelial Cells

描述(申请人提供)：骨形态发生蛋白(BMPs)是转化生长因子(TGF)β超家族中的一员，调节肾脏的许多生理和病理生理过程，包括肾脏发生、损伤反应和修复。尽管BMPs在肾脏中的确切作用仍不完全清楚，但BMPs似乎可以保护肾脏免受各种损伤，包括缺血、梗阻和糖尿病。Dragon是新近发现的一种新的GPI锚定的膜蛋白。将提供的初步数据表明Dragon参与BMP信号转导，并且Dragon在肾脏的肾小管上皮细胞中表达，肾小管上皮细胞对缺血损伤具有相对保护作用。这一建议将进一步研究Dragon在BMP信号中的确切作用，并阐明相关的分子和细胞机制。拟议中的实验还将开始研究Dragon在肾脏中表达与缺血损伤和修复有关的功能意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor (TGF) beta super family of growth factors that regulate many physiologic and pathyphysiologic processes in the kidney including nephrogenesis, response to injury, and repair. Although their precise role in the kidney is still not fully understood, BMPs appear be protective against renal injury to a variety of insults including ischemia, obstruction, and diabetes mellitus. Dragon is a novel GPI-anchored membrane protein, which has recently been identified. Preliminary data will be presented which demonstrates that Dragon is involved in BMP signaling, and that Dragon is expressed in the kidney in renal tubular epithelial cells which are relatively protected against ischemic injury. This proposal will investigate further the precise role of Dragon in BMP signaling and elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. Proposed experiments will also begin to examine the functional significance of Dragon expression in the kidney in relation to ischemic injury and repair.