Fig. 7

Expression levels of renal-specific genes in AFCs increase with gestational time. Number of renal-enriched genes (blue line) and GOs of trimester-specific AFCs (red line) indicates increasing pattern during fetal kidney development (a). Differentially expressed genes involved in nephron development in second and third-trimester AFCs. Gene-set enrichment analysis revealed expression of genes from different renal developmental compartments such as metanephros development (ADAMTS16, EPCAM, HNF1B, NOG, SALL1, WNT4), metanephric mesenchyme development (HNF1B, SALL1), renal tubule development (HOXD11, LHX1, PAX2, UMOD), metanephric nephron and tubule development (PAX2, UMOD), and metanephric glomerulus and mesonephros development (LHX1, PAX2) (b). Heatmap showing relative expression of genes involved in nephrogenesis from existing published data of AFCs from first and second trimester (c). Semi-qPCR of renal genes in AFC/AF-MSC samples from first, second, early third and late third trimester. Gel bands indicating enriched expression of renal genes in third trimester boxed in red (d). AFC amniotic fluid cell, AF-MSC amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cell, GO gene ontology, T1 first trimester, T2 second trimester, T3 third trimester