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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Nephrol. 2014 Jun 13;34(4):374–383. doi: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2014.06.004

Table 1.

Renal Pericyte Markers

Pericyte Marker Comment
PDGFR-β Receptor tyrosine kinase that is expressed strongly in various other cell types including mesangial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, expression persists in all kidney myofibroblasts2,7
CD73 (ecto-5′-nucleotidase) Mesenchymal stem cell marker,79 which also is expressed in T lymphocytes,80 marks cortical stroma but not medullary; in our hands not a reliable marker of kidney pericytes
CD248 (endosialin) C-type lectin transmembrane receptor, also expressed on vascular smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and T cells2
α-SMA Intracellular protein linked to cell contractility expressed by smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts, and not expressed by quiescent pericytes81
NG2 (chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4) Proteoglycan expressed by pericytes during early angiogenesis,1 vascular smooth muscle cells, adipocytes, and neuronal cells2,81
Desmin Type III intermediate filament, also expressed by mesangial cells, cardiomyocytes, and skeletal muscle cells2,82
p75 (low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor) Tumor necrosis factor–receptor superfamily member expressed on hepatic stellate cells and adult pericytes1,81