Autophagy influences glomerular disease susceptibility and maintains podocyte homeostasis in aging mice
01.04.2010
Hartleben B, Gödel M, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Liu S, Ulrich T, Köbler S, Wiech T, Grahammer F, Arnold SJ, Lindenmeyer MT, Cohen CD, Pavenstädt H, Kerjaschki D, Mizushima N, Shaw AS, Walz G, Huber TB.
J Clin Invest 120(4):1084-96
Podocyte-specific deletion of autophagy-related 5 (Atg5) led to a glomerulopathy in aging mice that was accompanied by an accumulation of oxidized and ubiquitinated proteins, ER stress, and proteinuria. These changes resulted ultimately in podocyte loss and late-onset glomerulosclerosis. Further, mice lacking Atg5 in podocytes exhibited strongly increased susceptibility to models of glomerular disease.These findings highlight the importance of autophagy as a key homeostatic mechanism to maintain podocyte integrity.
