Figure 4: A schematic diagram depicting components of the podocyte slit diaphragm and foot processes
and slit diaphragm proteins. Proteins that make up the SD between adjacent foot processes
are depicted. Nephrin, NEPH1, NEPH2, P-cadherin, and FAT are membrane-spanning proteins
that have large extracellular domains that are important for signaling events that
determine the structural integrity of podocyte foot processes. These proteins include
the slit diaphragm interact with intracellular adapter proteins, including CD2-AP,
ZO-1, Synaptopodin, and ACTN4. The adapter proteins bind to filamentous actin (F-actin).
The adhesion molecules dystroglycan and α3β1 integrin anchor the podocyte to the underlying
glomerular basement membrane (GBM).
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