Proximal Tubular Transcription Factors in Acute Kidney Injury: Recent Advances

Abstract

The proximal tubule (PT) is a major target in acute kidney injury (AKI), leading to profound changes in PT cell biology. Amongst the genes with early and robust changes in expression are many transcription factors (TFs), which themselves account for other transcriptomic changes. Potentially important TFs are being revealed in large sequencing datasets; however, to understand whether these TFs account for adaptive or maladaptive changes requires further mechanistic studies, which may reveal novel therapeutic targets. This mini review will highlight the identification and biology of 3 novel TFs in AKI: Sox9, Foxm1, and Foxo3.