Evolution of gene expression patterns in a model of branching morphogenesis.

Branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud in response to unknown signals from the metanephric mesenchyme gives rise to the urinary collecting system and, via inductive signals from the ureteric bud, to recruitment of nephrons from undifferentiated mesenchyme. An established cell culture model for this process employs cells of ureteric bud origin (UB) cultured in extracellular matrix and stimulated with conditioned media (BSN-CM) from a metanephric mesenchymal cell line (H. Sakurai, E. J. Barros, T. Tsukamoto, J. Barasch, and S. K. Nigam. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 6279-6284, 1997.). In the presence of BSN-CM, the UB cells form branching tubular structures reminiscent of the branching ureteric bud. The pattern of gene regulation in this model of branching morphogenesis of the kidney collecting system was investigated using high-density cDNA arrays. Software and analytical methods were developed for the quantification and clustering of genes. With the use of a computational method termed "vector analysis," genes were clustered according to the direction and magnitude of differential expression in n-dimensional log-space. Changes in gene expression in response to the BSN-CM consisted primarily of differential expression of transcription factors with previously described roles in morphogenesis, downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes accompanied by upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes, and upregulation of a small group of secreted products including growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular proteinases. Changes in expression are discussed in the context of a general model for epithelial branching morphogenesis. In addition, the cDNA arrays were used to survey expression of epithelial markers and secreted factors in UB and BSN cells, confirming the largely epithelial character of the former and largely mesenchymal character of the later. Specific morphologies (cellular processes, branching multicellular cords, etc.) were shown to correlate with the expression of different, but overlapping, genomic subsets, suggesting differences in morphogenetic mechanisms at these various steps in the evolution of branching tubules.