COUP-TFII in Kidneys, from Embryos to Sick Adults.
Sumiyasu IshiiNoriyuki KoibuchiPublished in: Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) (2022)
Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) is an orphan nuclear hormone receptor of unknown ligands. This molecule has two interesting features: (1) it is a developmental gene, and (2) it is a potential hormone receptor. Here, we describe the possible roles of COUP-TFII in the organogenesis of the kidneys and protection from adult renal diseases, primarily in mouse models. COUP-TFII is highly expressed in embryos, including primordial kidneys, and is essential for the formation of metanephric mesenchyme and the survival of renal precursor cells. Although the expression levels of COUP-TFII are low and its functions are unknown in healthy adults, it serves as a reno-protectant molecule against acute kidney injury. These are good examples of how developmental genes exhibit novel functions in the etiology of adult diseases. We also discuss the ongoing research on the roles of COUP-TFII in podocyte development and diabetic kidney disease. In addition, the identification of potential ligands suggests that COUP-TFII might be a novel therapeutic target for renal diseases in the future.
Keyphrases
- transcription factor
- acute kidney injury
- genome wide
- induced apoptosis
- type diabetes
- poor prognosis
- dna methylation
- gene expression
- genome wide identification
- copy number
- oxidative stress
- endothelial cells
- cell death
- cell cycle arrest
- binding protein
- young adults
- diabetic nephropathy
- wound healing
- endoplasmic reticulum stress