Non-muscle myosins and the podocyte

Proteinuria is often accompanied by a pathological change in the glomerulus that is refereed as effacement of the podocyte foot processes. The highly dynamic podocyte foot processes contain an actin-based contractile apparatus comparable to that of pericytes, which needs to be precisely and temporally controlled to withstand high pressure in the capillaries and to maintain intact glomerular filtration properties. This review outlines the most recent concepts on the function of the podocyte contractile apparatus with a focus on the role of non-muscle myosins as they have been highlighted by studies in monogenic hereditary proteinuric diseases.