PUBLICATION

pdx1 Knockout Leads to a Diabetic Nephropathy-Like Phenotype in Zebrafish and Identifies Phosphatidylethanolamine as Metabolite Promoting Early Diabetic Kidney Damage

Authors
Wiggenhauser, L.M., Metzger, L., Bennewitz, K., Soleymani, S., Boger, M., Tabler, C.T., Hausser, I., Sticht, C., Wohlfart, P., Volk, N., Heidenreich, E., Buettner, M., Hammes, H.P., Kroll, J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-220202-28
Date
2022
Source
Diabetes   71(5): 1073-1080 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kroll, Jens
Keywords
none
Datasets
GEO:GSE179104
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus*/metabolism
  • Diabetic Nephropathies*/metabolism
  • Female
  • Glomerular Basement Membrane
  • Humans
  • Hypertrophy/metabolism
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines
  • Podocytes*/metabolism
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
35100334 Full text @ Diabetes
Abstract
The pdx1-/- zebrafish mutant was recently established as a novel animal model of diabetic retinopathy. Here, we investigate whether knockout of pdx1 also leads to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). pdx1-/- larvae exhibit several signs of early DKD such as glomerular hypertrophy, impairments in the filtration barrier corresponding to microalbuminuria and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening. Adult pdx1-/- mutants show progressive GBM thickening in comparison to the larval state. Heterozygous pdx1 knockout also leads to glomerular hypertrophy as initial establishment of DKD similar to the pdx1-/- larvae. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of adult pdx1+/- kidneys uncovered regulations in multiple expected diabetic pathways related to podocyte disruption and hinting at early vascular dysregulation without obvious morphological alterations. Metabolome analysis and pharmacological intervention experiments revealed the contribution of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdE) in the early establishment of kidney damage. In conclusion, this study identified the pdx1 mutant as a novel model for the study of DKD showing signs of the early disease progression already in larval stage and several selective features of later DKD in adult mutants.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping