HNF4A maintains proximal tubule identity and limits injury-associated cell states in the adult mouse kidney

Introduction

HNF4A is required for proximal tubule maturation during kidney development, but its role in maintaining proximal tubule identity in the adult kidney has not been defined. Following acute kidney injury, Hnf4a expression is rapidly suppressed in proximal tubule cells, coinciding with loss of mature epithelial features and activation of injury-associated transcriptional programs. It remains unknown whether HNF4A loss is sufficient to drive injury-associated transcriptional changes.