The importance of the Notch signaling in the development of glomerular diseases has been recently described. Therefore we analyzed in podocytes the expression and activity of ADAM10, one important component of the Notch signaling complex. Methods: By Western blot, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry analysis we characterized the expression of ADAM10 in human podocytes, | NSC Gutwein et al. Journal of Biomedical Science 2010 17 3 http content 17 1 3 The cost of publication in Journal of Biomedical Science is bourne by the National Science Council Taiwan. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH Open Access ADAM10 is expressed in human podocytes and found in urinary vesicles of patients with glomerular kidney diseases Paul Gutwein 1 Anja Schramme2 Mohamed Sadek Abdel-Bakky1 Kai Doberstein1 Ingeborg A Hauser3 Andreas Ludwig4 Peter Altevogt5 Stefan Gauer3 Anja Hillmann6 Thomas Weide6 Christine Jespersen1 Wolfgang Eberhardt1 and Josef Pfeilschifter1 Abstract Background The importance of the Notch signaling in the development of glomerular diseases has been recently described. Therefore we analyzed in podocytes the expression and activity of ADAM10 one important component of the Notch signaling complex. Methods By Western blot immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry analysis we characterized the expression of ADAM10 in human podocytes human urine and human renal tissue. Results We present evidence that differentiated human podocytes possessed increased amounts of mature ADAM10 and released elevated levels of L1 adhesion molecule one well known substrate of ADAM10. By using specific siRNA and metalloproteinase inhibitors we demonstrate that ADAM10 is involved in the cleavage of L1 in human podocytes. Injury of podocytes enhanced the ADAM10 mediated cleavage of L1. In addition we detected ADAM10 in urinary podocytes from patients with kidney diseases and in tissue sections of normal human kidney. Finally we found elevated levels of ADAM10 in urinary vesicles of patients with glomerular kidney diseases. Conclusions The activity of ADAM10 in human podocytes may play an important role in the development of glomerular kidney diseases. Background The important role of podocytes in the development of many glomerular diseases are documented in renal disorders like minimal change disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and
