Hereditary cystic kidney diseases are considered as "ciliopathies" caused by abnormalities of the "primary cilia" situated on the tubules. As a result of dysplasia and dysfunction of cilia, formation of cysts occurs at various stages of life. Although occurring at a low incidence, hereditary cystic kidney diseases that develop from the fetal stage to childhood are diverse and are often associated with systemic disorders. The incidence of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is the only adult-onset hereditary cystic kidney disease, is the highest among hereditary renal disorders.

Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease associated to the MUC1 gene (ADTKD-MUC1; formerly MCKD1) belongs to a heterogeneous group of rare hereditary kidney diseases that is prototypically caused by frameshift mutations in the MUC1 repeat domain. The mutant MUC1 (insC) lacks the transmembrane domaine, exhibits aberant cellular topology, and hence might gain a function during the pathological process. To get insight into potential pathomechanisms we perform differential proteomics of extracellular vesicles shed by renal epithelia into the urine of patients. The study is based on three ADTKD patients and individual controls applying iTRAQ/LC-MS/MS. A total of 796 proteins were identified across all biological and technical replicates, and 298 proteins were quantified. A proportion of 47 proteins were fold-changed species. GO Term Enrichment analysis revealed proteins with significantly changed expression in ADTKD-associated extracellular vesicles as vesicular transport-associated proteins. Among these VTA1 is involved in the endosomal multivesicular body pathway associated with transport to lysosomes or export via exosomes. VTA1 is also claimed to play roles as a cofactor of the AAA ATPases VPS4A and VPS4B in the disassembly of ESCRT III. Protein interaction databases list VPS4B, CHMP2A, and IST1 as VTA1 binding partners. (Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008389.).

Mucin 1 kidney disease, previously referred to as medullary cystic kidney disease type 1, is a rare hereditary kidney disease. It is one of several diseases now termed autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease, as proposed by a KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) consensus report in 2014. Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney diseases share common clinical findings, such as autosomal dominant inheritance, bland urinary sediment, absent to mild proteinuria, and progressive loss of kidney function. Although the pathophysiology of mucin 1 kidney disease is still under investigation, genetic testing has been developed to detect the most well-known mutation, a single cytosine insertion into a string of 7 cytosines in the variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) region of the MUC-1 gene. With this diagnostic tool, nephrologists can offer genetic counseling to affected families and monitor closely for progression of disease. We report a Hispanic patient with a strong family history of chronic kidney disease who tested positive for the MUC1 mutation.

Medullary cystic kidney disease Type 1 is an autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD). Recently, mucin 1 (MUC1) was identified as a causal gene of medullary cystic kidney disease (ADTKD-MUC1). However, the MUC1 mutation was found to be a single cytosine insertion in a single copy of the GC-rich variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs), which are very difficult to analyze by next-generation sequencing. To date, other mutations have not been detected in ADTKD-MUC1, and the mutant MUC1 protein has not been analyzed because of the difficulty of genetically modifying the VNTR sequence. We conducted whole-exome analyses of an ADTKD family by next-generation sequencing. We also performed histopathological analyses of a renal biopsy from a pedigree family member. We constructed a mutant protein expression vector based on the patient genome sequence and characterized the nature of the mutant protein. We found a novel frameshift mutation before the VNTR in the MUC1 gene. The resulting mutant MUC1 protein had a very similar amino acid sequence and predicted 3D structure to the previously reported mutant protein. Notably, the recombinant mutant MUC1 protein was trapped in the cytoplasm and appeared to self-aggregate. The patient native mutant protein was also found in urine exosomes. This novel frameshift mutation in the MUC1 gene and consequent mutant protein may contribute to the future discovery of the pathophysiology of ADTKD-MUC1. The mutant MUC1 protein in urine exosomes may be used for non-DNA-related diagnosis.

Recent studies in the kidney have revealed that the well characterized tumor antigen mucin 1 (MUC1/Muc1) also has numerous functions in the normal and injured kidney. Mucin 1 is a transmembrane mucin with a robust glycan-dependent apical targeting signal and efficient recycling from endosomes. It was recently reported that the TRPV5 calcium channel is stabilized on the cell surface by galectin-dependent cross-linking to mucin 1, providing a novel mechanism for regulation of ion channels and normal electrolyte balance.Our recent studies in mice show that Muc 1 is induced after ischemia, stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1)α and β-catenin levels, and transactivating the HIF-1 and β-catenin protective pathways. However, prolonged induction of either pathway in the injured kidney can proceed from apparent full recovery to chronic kidney disease. A very recent report indicates that aberrant activation of mucin 1 signaling after ischemic injury in mice and humans is associated with development of chronic kidney disease and fibrosis. A frameshift mutation in MUC1 was recently identified as the genetic lesion causing medullary cystic kidney disease type 1, now appropriately renamed MUC1 Kidney Disease. Studies of mucin 1 in the kidney now reveal significant functions for the extracellular mucin-like domain and signaling through the cytoplasmic tail.