The absence of Trim28 in nephron progenitors results in impaired kidney development and function

Transcriptome analyses revealed cell-type-specific deregulation of retroelement expression following Trim28 deletion. Further analysis of scRNA-seq data revealed a decreased frequency of nephron progenitor cells (NPCs), an increase in PT cells, and a clear shift towards inflammatory gene expression patterns. While there was no evidence of tumor formation in Trim28Δ/Δ kidneys, the differentially expressed genes in Trim28Δ/Δ progenitors reflected reduced translation, similar to patterns observed in TRIM28 mutant tumor-derived NPCs.

Thus, our data demonstrate that TRIM28 primarily influences the maintenance and differentiation of NPCs and PT cells, as well as their subsequent function.