Slit diaphragm maintenance requires dynamic clathrin-mediated endocytosis facilitated by AP-2, Lap, Aux and Hsc70-4 in nephrocytes.

All genes in this SD protein endocytosis and recycling pathway, as well as SD proteins themselves, are highly conserved from flies to humans. Thus, our results suggest that the SD proteins in human kidney undergo the same endocytosis and recycling pathway to maintain the filtration structure, and mutations in any genes in this pathway could lead to abnormal SD and renal diseases.