Kidney Week

Abstract: TH-PO0544

Characterization of Rattus Norvegicus Glomerular Matrisome at Neonatal and Adult Ages

Session Information

• Development, Stem Cells, and Regenerative Medicine
  November 06, 2025 | Location: Exhibit Hall, Convention Center
  Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Category: Development, Stem Cells, and Regenerative Medicine

• 600 Development, Stem Cells, and Regenerative Medicine

Authors

• Siqueira, Talita Souza, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Talita Souza Siqueira, PhD

• Murata, Gilson Masahiro, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Gilson Masahiro Murata, DrPH

• Watanabe, Elieser H., Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Elieser H. Watanabe, MD, PhD

• Barbosa, Lívia Maria Gruli, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Lívia Maria Gruli Barbosa, PhD

• Carvalho, Valdemir Melechco, Grupo Fleury, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Valdemir Melechco Carvalho, PhD

• Onuchic, Luiz F., Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Luiz F. Onuchic, MD, PhD

Background

Extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cell-cell interactions and provides physical support to physiological processes. In glomeruli, ECM is essential for the process of ultrafiltration. While the glomerular matrisome has been characterized in humans, it has not been described in Rattus norvegicus, a species largely used in renal physiology. Herein we characterized the proteomic profiles of glomerular ECM in male
and female rats during development and at adulthood.

Methods

Glomeruli were isolated by sieving from 10 adult Wistar rats for each sex and 10 neonatal pools (P1; 4 kidneys/pool/sex) and submitted to decellularization with 25% NH₄OH for ECM enrichment. Proteomic analysis was performed using mass spectrometry (DIA-NN v1.8.1) with LFQ normalization. ECM proteins were filtered using The Matrisome Project and human glomerular matrisome databases. Differential expression analysis (FDR p<0.05) and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted in R.

Results

Our study identified 1,107 proteins, including 166 ECM components (89 novel in the rat glomerular context). PCA revealed significant tratification between adults and P1 animals (dimensions 1 and 3), with P1 displaying greater abundance of various proteins associated with system development (e.g., LUM, BGN, LTBP1) and adults greater abundance of several proteins related to cellular regulation (e.g., ANXA1, UMOD, GSN). Differential expression analysis showed 14 proteins with greater and 15 with lower abundance in P1 compared to adults in females, and 10 with greater and 11 with lower abundance in P1 than adults in males. Proteins involved in developmental regulation (e.g., COL2A1 and HMGB1/2) and metabolic proteins such as AHSG and C1QBP were expressed only in P1, while immune proteins such as C3 and ICAM1 and the ECM remodeling protein MMP9 were expressed only in adults. Differences between sexes were minimal. Remodeling proteins (e.g., COL5A1 and LAMB2) prevailed in P1 whereas regulatory proteins (e.g., TXN and HSPD1) were more abundant in adults.

Conclusion

Renal development was associated with marked changes in glomerular matrisome. Our data provide the first comprehensive description of the glomerular matrisome of Rattus norvegicus and offer key insights into glomerular ontogeny.

Funding

• Government Support – Non-U.S.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• doi: 10.1681/ASN.2025gtw9mgxv