Characterization of alternative mRNA splicing in cultured cell populations representing progressive stages of human fetal kidney development.

Nephrons are the functional units of the kidney. During kidney development, cells from the cap mesenchyme-a transient kidney-specific progenitor state-undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and subsequently differentiate into the various epithelial cell types that create the tubular structures of the nephron. Faults in this transition can lead to a pediatric malignancy of the kidney called Wilms' tumor that mimics normal kidney development.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals mRNA Splice Isoform Switching during Kidney Development.

Background: During mammalian kidney development, nephron progenitors undergo a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and eventually differentiate into the various tubular segments of the nephron. Recently, Drop-seq single-cell RNA sequencing technology for measuring gene expression from thousands of individual cells identified the different cell types in the developing kidney. However, that analysis did not include the additional layer of heterogeneity that alternative mRNA splicing creates.

Macrophages restrict the nephrogenic field and promote endothelial connections during kidney development.

The origins and functions of kidney macrophages in the adult have been explored, but their roles during development remain largely unknown. Here we characterise macrophage arrival, localisation, heterogeneity, and functions during kidney organogenesis. Using genetic approaches to ablate macrophages, we identify a role for macrophages in nephron progenitor cell clearance as mouse kidney development begins.

A brief review of single-cell transcriptomic technologies.

In recent years, there has been an effort to develop new technologies for measuring gene expression and sequence information from thousands of individual cells. Large data sets that were obtained using these 'single cell' technologies have allowed scientists to address fundamental questions in biomedicine ranging from stems cells and development to cancer and immunology. Here, we provide a brief review of recent developments in single-cell technology.