Exocyst genes are required for kidney cell function

What is it about?

Using the fruit fly, we found that a group of eight genes encoding the Exocyst complex to be essential for kidney function by recycling proteins that make up the slit diaphragm (the basic filtration structure of kidney cells). Using electron microscopy, a unique electron-dense tubular structures named “exocyst rods” was found in kidney cells with exocyst gene deficiency, suggesting the exocyst complex is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the slit diaphragm structures required for the kidney’s filtering function.

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Photo by Benjamín Gremler on Unsplash

Photo by Benjamín Gremler on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Since both the exocyst genes and the basic filtration structures are highly conserved from flies to humans, our finding suggests that the exocyst genes are playing similar roles in human kidney cells, and mutations in these exocyst genes could lead to genetic kidney diseases.

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