Role of smooth muscle protein SM22α in glomerular epithelial cell injury.

Podocytes are considered terminally differentiated cells in the mature kidney under normal conditions. In the face of injury, podocytes may proceed along several possible pathways, including dedifferentiation and proliferation, persistent cell cycle arrest, hypertrophy, apoptosis, or necrosis. There is mounting evidence that transdifferentiation into a dysregulated phenotype may also be a potential cell fate.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is a regulator of podocyte differentiation, proliferation, and morphology.

Podocytes are highly specialized and terminally differentiated glomerular cells that play a vital role in renal physiology, including the prevention of proteinuria. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) has been shown to influence several cellular processes in other terminally differentiated cells, in particular neurons. In this study, we examined the role of CDK5 in podocyte differentiation, proliferation, and morphology.