Mouse kidney development

The kidneys play a critical homeostatic role in the regulation of body fluid composition and excretion of waste products. Here I review our understanding of how the three different vertebrate kidney types (pronephros, mesonephros, and metanephros) arise during mouse development with a more comprehensive focus on the molecular regulation of metanephros formation. A detailed understanding of the genetic hierarchies governing renal development will provide insights into the pathogenesis of kidney disorders, advance efforts to direct pluripotent stem cells into therapeutically useful renal lineages in vitro, and further our understanding of renal regenerative pathways that occur in vivo.