Schell C Sabass B Helmstaedter M Geist F Abed A Yasuda-Yamahara M Sigle A Maier JI Grahammer F Siegerist F Artelt N Endlich N Kerjaschki D Arnold HH Dengjel J Rogg M Huber TB 2018 Podocytes, highly specialized epithelial cells, build the outer part of the kidney filtration barrier and withstand high mechanical forces through a complex network of cellular protrusions. Here, we show that Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization controls actomyosin contractility and focal adhesion maturation of podocyte protrusions and thereby regulates formation, maintenance, and capacity to adapt to mechanical requirements of the filtration barrier. We find that N-WASP-Arp2/3 define the development of complex arborized podocyte protrusions in vitro and in vivo. Loss of dendritic actin networks results in a pronounced activation of the actomyosin cytoskeleton and the generation of over-maturated but less efficient adhesion, leading to detachment of podocytes. Our data provide a model to explain podocyte protrusion morphology and their mechanical stability based on a tripartite relationship between actin polymerization, contractility, and adhesion. application/pdf https://sonar.ch/global/documents/277831 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.devcel.2018.11.011 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/30503751 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Developmental cell. - 2018 Arp2/3 N-WASP actin networks actomyosin cell process generation focal adhesion glomerular epithelial cells kidney filtration barrier podocytes Actin Cytoskeleton Actin-Related Protein 3 Actins Actomyosin Animals Cell Adhesion Focal Adhesions Glomerular Filtration Barrier Humans Kidney Mice Mice, Knockout Podocytes Signal Transduction Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal ARP3 Controls the Podocyte Architecture at the Kidney Filtration Barrier. http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501