Tyrosine Kinase Signaling in Kidney Glomerular Podocytes
Figure 1
Schematic drawing of slit diaphragm (SD) of kidney glomerular podocytes. (a) The capillaries of kidney glomeruli are surrounded by three layers: the endothelial cells, the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), and the highly branched glomerular visceral epithelial cells, called podocytes. The blood pressure drives the filtration of blood plasma into the urinary space. Neighboring podocytes form a unique cell adhesion structure called SD that functions as a filtration barrier (enclosed by a circle). (b) Molecular structure of SD. The components of SD shown in this schematic drawing of SD have been identified by human and mouse genetics.
