Sox6: A new modulator of renin expression during physiological conditions

Juxtaglomerular (JG) cells, major sources of renin, differentiate from metanephric mesenchymal cells which give rise to JG cells or a subset of smooth muscle cells of the renal afferent arteriole. During periods of dehydration and salt deprivation JG cells undergo expansion. Gene expression profiling comparing resident renal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) with JG cells indicate that the transcription factor Sox6 is highly expressed in JG cells in the adult kidney. In vitro, loss of Sox6 expression reduces differentiation of renal MSCs to renin producing cells. In vivo, Sox6 expression is up-regulated during JG cell expansion. Importantly, knockout of Sox6 in Ren1d+ cells halts the increase in renin expressing cells normally seen during JG cell expansion as well as the typical increase in renin. These results support a previously undefined role for Sox6 in renin expression during normal and pathophysiological conditions.