The expression of gicerin, a cell adhesion molecule, in regenerating process of collecting ducts and ureters of the chicken kidney following infection with a nephrotropic strain of infectious bronchitis virus

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Gicerin is a novel cell adhesion molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin super-family. In this study, we examined the relationship between the expression of gicerin, and the regenerating process of collecting ducts and ureters of chickens with interstitial nephritis caused by a nephrotropic strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that gicerin expression was found on the epithelial cells of collecting ducts and ureters in the embryonic kidneys, but was undetected in these regions following hatching. In the IBV-infected kidneys, gicerin was undetected in the degenerative epithelia of collecting ducts and ureters during the acute stage of infection, but became strongly re-expressed in these regions in the regenerating stage, and gicerin expression then became undetectable in the completely repaired epithelia. These findings suggest that gicerin expression is strictly regulated for use in the epithelial regeneration, as well as development of collecting ducts and ureters of chicken.