Local Character

Like two streets in the same city with very different vibes, two blood vessels in the same kidney can have very different characteristics. Researchers know that the network of vessels that helps the kidney filter and regulate blood flow is complex and specialised. To better understand the details, a team examined the genetic expression (activity) patterns in cells lining vessels (endothelial cells) in mouse embryos (pictured, endothelial cells highlighted pink and markers of vessels shown green), tracking genetic lineage and physical characteristics. In creating an atlas of vessel development, they identified distinct subtypes of endothelial cells showing that vessels across the kidney are underpinned by unique features depending on where they are and what function they specialise in. Many chronic kidney conditions, including those that arise during development and persist after birth, depend on the vascular system, so establishing these patterns will help pinpoint problems and provide platforms to study treatments.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Anthony Lewis

Writer

Ant was the web editor in the early days of BPoD, and has since worked with the UK’s top science organisations as a writer and multimedia producer. He now splits his time between freelance work and managing multimedia at The Lancet.

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• Image from work by Peter M Luo and Neha Ahuja, and colleagues
• Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in bioRxiv, January 2025 (not peer reviewed)