Part B: Signalling in Polycystic Kidney Disease: Wnt signalling in kidney development and disease

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Rudolf Grosschedl
• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2008 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 58488057

Wnt signalling has been implicated in the development and function of the kidney. However it is still unclear which processes of kidney development are regulated by the canonical Wnt pathway, involving the transcriptional activation of genes via Lef1/Tcf proteins and β-catenin, and which processes depend on the non-canonical Wnt pathways. By targeted gene inactivation, we have generated two mouse models for studies of the role of canonical Wnt signalling in kidney development. Histological and molecular analysis of kidney development in these mutant mice will provide insight into the role of canonical Wnt signalling and into the regulation of Wnt target genes.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Research Units
• Subproject of: KFO 201: Polycystic Kidney Disease - From Model Organisms to Novel Therapies