Chapters authored
Protein Reabsorption in the Amphibian Kidney: Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects
Protein reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule (PT) is a vitally important process which prevents the loss of filtered proteins and provides their participation in subsequent metabolism. Despite considerable changes in renal structure and function in the process of evolution, very little is known about the functional similarities or specifics of tubular protein reabsorption in the kidney of lower vertebrates compared with the mammalian and human kidney. This article presents an overview of our recent studies on protein reabsorption in the kidney of amphibians, which are used as one of the main animal models for current biological and biomedical research. In frogs, newts, and rats, the absorption capacity of epithelial PT cells was studied after the introduction of green fluorescent protein (GFP), yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), and lysozyme. Molecular mechanisms of receptor-mediated protein endocytosis were also investigated by immunohisto- and immunocytochemistry, electron, fluorescent, and laser scanning confocal microscopy.
Part of the book: Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry