Details for: CL0002518

Cell ID: CL0002518

Cell Name: kidney epithelial cell

Description: An epithelial cell of the kidney.

Selected Context(s): Overall

Gene Significance Landscape

Display Options
Score:
Display
Genes

Contexts:

Cell Significance Index (CSI) is uniquely calculated to reveal cell-specific gene markers. More info here

Significant Genes List

Genes with the highest and lowest Percentile Rank Scores (PRS) for kidney epithelial cell within the selected context(s).

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for kidney epithelial cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
(Previously described as "Fold Change", but now represents Cliff's Delta × –log10(p).)

Gene ID: A unique numerical identifier for this specific gene.
Symbol: Shortened abbreviation or name that represents this gene.
Ensembl Gene ID: A unique identifier assigned by Ensembl for genomic data mapping.
CSI Score: A combined effect size and statistical significance measure for kidney epithelial cell. Higher scores indicate a stronger, more significant difference in expression.
Average CSI: csi sum / gene count
Cell network configuration

This network visualizes key genes for kidney epithelial cell. It primarily includes:
1. Top genes highly significant for this cell (Num. Top Cell Genes - based on the 'Min. CSI' setting).
2. Any additional specific 'Context Genes' you add below.
The final network is a combined view. Choose an Interaction Source (pathways or protein interactions) and optionally compare CSI scores with a Baseline Cell Type.

Maximum number of selected genes.
Select a context for the baseline cell.
Select a context for the target cell.
Target Cell for CSI:  kidney epithelial cell (CL0002518)

 Legend
Nodes (Genes):
 Query Gene
Node size also reflects Target Cell CSI magnitude.
Node Color (Target Cell CSI in specific network):
 Very High
 High
 Medium
 Low
 Very Low
 N/A or Not Sig.
Edges (Interactions):
 STRING (Protein-Protein)
 ONTOLOGY (Shared Pathway)
 Colors vary by pathway category; default arrow applies.

Loading network (please wait)...

## Summary The [kidney epithelial cell](/details-cell/CL0002518) is a fundamental structural and functional unit of the kidney. Based on its gene significance profile, this cell type is characterized by an exceptionally high level of metabolic activity, particularly aerobic respiration. The prominence of numerous genes encoding subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and ATP synthase as top-specific markers underscores a primary role in energy-intensive processes, likely related to the active transport of solutes essential for renal filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. Genes such as [TPT1](/details-gene/7178) and [FTH1](/details-gene/2495) also point towards robust systems for protein synthesis, cellular maintenance, and management of iron homeostasis, a critical cofactor for its metabolic machinery. ## Key Characteristics and Function The gene expression landscape of the [kidney epithelial cell](/details-cell/CL0002518) is overwhelmingly dominated by components of energy metabolism. * **Mitochondrial Bioenergetics:** A large cluster of the most specific marker genes is directly involved in mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis. This includes multiple subunits of the cytochrome-c oxidase complex (Complex IV), such as [COX1](/details-gene/4512), [COX2](/details-gene/4513), [COX4I1](/details-gene/1327), [COX5B](/details-gene/1329), [COX6C](/details-gene/1345), [COX7A2](/details-gene/1347), and [COX7C](/details-gene/1350). Additionally, components of Complex III ([UQCRB](/details-gene/7381)), Complex I ([NDUFA4](/details-gene/4697)), and ATP synthase (Complex V) ([ATP5F1B](/details-gene/506), [ATP5MC2](/details-gene/517), [ATP5MG](/details-gene/10632)) are highly significant. This profound signature of oxidative phosphorylation is consistent with the immense energy demand required to fuel the ion pumps responsible for maintaining electrochemical gradients across the tubular epithelium. * **Cellular Maintenance and Protein Synthesis:** The top marker, [TPT1](/details-gene/7178) (Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein), suggests a high capacity for protein synthesis and cellular growth or maintenance. Similarly, the high significance of [SRP14](/details-gene/6727), a component of the signal recognition particle, and [UBB](/details-gene/7314) (Ubiquitin B) points to active protein trafficking and turnover, essential for a metabolically dynamic cell. * **Protective and Detoxification Mechanisms:** The high specificity of [FTH1](/details-gene/2495) (Ferritin Heavy Chain 1) indicates a critical role for iron sequestration. This is likely a dual-purpose function: ensuring a sufficient supply of iron for the heme groups in cytochromes while also protecting the cell from iron-induced oxidative stress. The presence of [GSTP1](/details-gene/2950) (Glutathione S-Transferase Pi 1) further supports a role in detoxification and mitigating damage from reactive oxygen species, a natural byproduct of the intense mitochondrial activity. * **Cytoskeletal and Structural Roles:** The significance of [MYL6](/details-gene/4637) (Myosin Light Chain 6) suggests the importance of cytoskeletal dynamics, which are crucial for maintaining cell polarity, junctional integrity, and trafficking of vesicles and transporters in these epithelial cells. **Overall**, the marker profile defines a cell highly specialized for aerobic energy production to power its physiological functions. The low significance (anti-markers) for genes associated with other specific lineages, such as the mucin [MUC1](/details-gene/4582), helps to refine its identity as a non-secretory, transport-focused epithelial cell. ## Clinical Significance and Contextual Roles The gene signature of the [kidney epithelial cell](/details-cell/CL0002518) highlights its central role in renal physiology and its potential vulnerability in disease. The profound dependence on oxidative phosphorylation suggests that this cell type is particularly susceptible to mitochondrial dysfunction. Genetic mitochondrial diseases, as well as damage from nephrotoxic agents or hypoxic/ischemic events, would likely compromise the viability and function of these cells, leading to acute kidney injury (AKI) or chronic kidney disease (CKD). The high significance of [ITM2B](/details-gene/9445), a gene whose mutations are associated with familial British and Danish dementias ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1038/21637)), is an intriguing finding. While primarily studied in the context of neurodegeneration, its specific expression in [kidney epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002518) may indicate a role in protein processing or clearance pathways that could be relevant to systemic amyloid diseases or proteinuric kidney conditions. Furthermore, the prominence of detoxification-related genes like [GSTP1](/details-gene/2950) underscores the kidney's role in drug metabolism and xenobiotic clearance. Polymorphisms in this gene could influence individual susceptibility to drug-induced nephrotoxicity. The iron-handling capacity, marked by [FTH1](/details-gene/2495), is clinically relevant in conditions of iron overload or in the context of heme-pigment-induced kidney injury, such as in rhabdomyolysis. ## Potential Mechanisms and Research Directions 1. **Hypothesis:** The defining transcriptional signature of [kidney epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002518) is not the expression of specific ion transporters but rather the massive, coordinated expression of the mitochondrial machinery required to power them. This "power grid" specialization makes the cell exquisitely sensitive to metabolic poisons and mitochondrial toxins, representing a primary failure point in many forms of acute kidney injury. * **Surprising Findings:** It is notable that the top markers identified by expression specificity (`csi_z`) are dominated by ubiquitous, high-energy metabolism genes rather than kidney-specific solute carriers (SLCs) or aquaporins. This suggests that the *level* and *uniqueness* of energy production capacity, more than the specific transport proteins, is what distinguishes this cell type from others in a whole-organism context. * **Testable Questions:** How does the proteome of isolated [kidney epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002518) compare to their transcriptome? Are the vast quantities of mitochondrial gene transcripts translated into a correspondingly high abundance of protein complexes, and how does this stoichiometric ratio change in response to metabolic stress or nephrotoxic insults? 2. **Hypothesis:** The high-level expression of genes involved in iron management ([FTH1](/details-gene/2495)) and oxidative stress response ([GSTP1](/details-gene/2950]) represents an essential, co-evolved adaptive mechanism to counteract the high load of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inherently generated by the cell's extreme reliance on oxidative phosphorylation. * **Surprising Findings:** The identification of [TPT1](/details-gene/7178), a protein often linked to cell growth and cancer, as the top marker is unexpected. In this context, its high expression may reflect a constitutive role in managing cellular stress and promoting survival and repair in an environment of high metabolic turnover and potential oxidative damage, rather than proliferation. * **Testable Questions:** Does experimental inhibition of [FTH1](/details-gene/2495) function in a kidney epithelial cell line lead to increased lipid peroxidation and apoptosis when the cells are challenged with a metabolic substrate that maximizes electron transport chain activity?