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Research Progress on the Effects of Wilms Tumor Gene 1 on the Development of Kidney and Gonads

AN Pei-pei, LI Chun-yi   

  1. State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of CAAS, Changchun 130112, China

  • Revised:2014-03-24 Online:2014-07-20 Published:2014-08-21

Abstract: The Wilms tumor gene 1(WT1) is first found to be inactivated in Wilms toumor. It encodes zinc finger proteins which act as tumor suppressor and play important roles in the development of the genitourinary system and several other tissues.WT1-null mice do not have kidneys and gonads and have abnormal retinas.In addition, WT1 is also required for normal male sex determination in the context of urogenital development. Hence, WT1 is required for both kidney and gonads development. But the mechanisms underlying these phenotypic abnormalities are largely unknown.

Key words:

Wilms tumor gene 1; kidney; gonads