Cell-Cell Communication in Embryonic Kidney Development: Insights from Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics.
7 affiliations
- 1School of Mathematics and Big Data, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
- 2The First Hospital, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
- 3School of Computer Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
- 4School of Artificial Intelligence, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Hefei 231131, China.
- 5State Key Laboratory of Digital Intelligent Technology for Unmanned Coal Mining, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
- 6School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
- 7Anhui Provincial Academician Workstation of Anhui University of Science and Technology for Autoimmune Disease Diagnostic Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
Abstract
Embryonic kidney morphogenesis depends on the coordinated communication among ureteric epithelium, nephron progenitors, stroma, endothelium and differentiating nephrons. Classical studies established central roles for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signaling through the RET proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (RET), WNT-family signaling, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), Notch, Hedgehog, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) pathways, but pathway-centered models do not fully explain why similar signals produce different outcomes across cell states, anatomical locations and developmental stages. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics have refined these models by resolving heterogeneous progenitor, stromal and vascular states, reassigning several signal sources and constraining predicted interactions to defined tissue relationships. Here, we examine how these findings change the interpretation of ureteric bud (UB) branching, nephron progenitor transitions, stromal patterning and vascular integration. We use the dynamic developmental niche as an evidence-organizing framework, rather than as a new biological entity, to distinguish established mechanisms from relationships supported mainly by transcriptomic, spatial or computational evidence. Vascular, immune and mechanical interactions are evaluated according to their model-specific support, and we outline experiments required to connect predicted communication with morphogenetic outcomes and congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT).
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026cellcell,
title = {{Cell-Cell Communication in Embryonic Kidney Development: Insights from Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics.}},
author = {Leping Wang and Xuejia Zheng and Feng Zhu and Liu Xiang and Chengcheng Liu and Enqi Feng and Yuxian Liu and Yong Dai},
journal = {Journal of developmental biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jdb14040043},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924730},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cell-Cell Communication in Embryonic Kidney Development: Insights from Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics.
AU - Leping Wang
AU - Xuejia Zheng
AU - Feng Zhu
AU - Liu Xiang
AU - Chengcheng Liu
AU - Enqi Feng
AU - Yuxian Liu
AU - Yong Dai
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Journal of developmental biology
DO - 10.3390/jdb14040043
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924730
AB - Embryonic kidney morphogenesis depends on the coordinated communication among ureteric epithelium, nephron progenitors, stroma, endothelium and differentiating nephrons. Classical studies established central roles for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signaling through the RET proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (RET), WNT-family signaling, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), Notch, Hedgehog, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) pathways, but pathway-centered models do not fully explain why similar signals produce different outcomes across cell states, anatomical locations and developmental stages. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics have refined these models by resolving heterogeneous progenitor, stromal and vascular states, reassigning several signal sources and constraining predicted interactions to defined tissue relationships. Here, we examine how these findings change the interpretation of ureteric bud (UB) branching, nephron progenitor transitions, stromal patterning and vascular integration. We use the dynamic developmental niche as an evidence-organizing framework, rather than as a new biological entity, to distinguish established mechanisms from relationships supported mainly by transcriptomic, spatial or computational evidence. Vascular, immune and mechanical interactions are evaluated according to their model-specific support, and we outline experiments required to connect predicted communication with morphogenetic outcomes and congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT).
SN - 2221-3759
ER -