{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T02:58:09Z","timestamp":1786589889031,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,28]],"date-time":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1627430400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"VLIR-UOS","award":["CD2017TEA440A101"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CD2017TEA440A101"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) high-risk genotypes (HRG), G1 and G2, increase the risk of various non-diabetic kidney diseases in the African population. To date, the precise mechanisms by which APOL1 risk variants induce injury on podocytes and other kidney cells remain unclear. Trying to unravel these mechanisms, most studies have used animal or cell models created by gene editing. We developed and characterised conditionally immortalised human podocyte cell lines derived from urine of a donor carrying APOL1 HRG G2\/G2. Following induction of APOL1 expression by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), we assessed functional features of APOL1-induced podocyte dysfunction. As control, APOL1 wild type (G0\/G0) podocyte cell line previously generated from a Caucasian donor was used. Upon exposure to poly(I:C), G2\/G2 and G0\/G0 podocytes upregulated APOL1 expression resulting in podocytes detachment, decreased cells viability and increased apoptosis rate in a genotype-independent manner. Nevertheless, G2\/G2 podocyte cell lines exhibited altered features, including upregulation of CD2AP, alteration of cytoskeleton, reduction of autophagic flux and increased permeability in an in vitro model under continuous perfusion. The human APOL1 G2\/G2 podocyte cell model is a useful tool for unravelling the mechanisms of APOL1-induced podocyte injury and the cellular functions of APOL1.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells10081914","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,28]],"date-time":"2021-07-28T11:12:52Z","timestamp":1627470772000},"page":"1914","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Novel Human Podocyte Cell Model Carrying G2\/G2 APOL1 High-Risk Genotype"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Pepe M.","family":"Ekulu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Division of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Kinshasa, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oyindamola C.","family":"Adebayo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6050-599X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Paul","family":"Decuypere","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linda","family":"Bellucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3154-1948","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed A.","family":"Elmonem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11628, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agathe B.","family":"Nkoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Division of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Kinshasa, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Djalila","family":"Mekahli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Division of Nephrology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3663-5134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benedetta","family":"Bussolati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lambertus P.","family":"van den Heuvel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2207-9699","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fanny O.","family":"Arcolino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8352-7312","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena N.","family":"Levtchenko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Division of Nephrology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"A6","DOI":"10.1053\/j.ajkd.2019.09.003","article-title":"US Renal Data System 2019 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States","volume":"75","author":"Saran","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. 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