Figure 7.

TIMP-2 inhibits ureteric branching in vitro. E13 kidneys were cultured for 4 days with rTIMP-2 (2 μg/mL), and the ureteric bud was then viewed with D. biflorus lectin. Treatment with rTIMP-2 inhibits branching of the ureteric bud (b), as compared with kidneys cultured in basal medium (a). Ilomastat (2 μM), an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases, also inhibited branching of the ureteric bud. Images are three-dimensional X-Y projections of serial confocal cuts through the kidney. Scale bars: 300 μm.