metanephrogene

Metanephrogene, also termed metanephrogenic tissue, refers to the embryonic tissue that gives rise to the metanephros, the definitive kidney in amniotes. In mammals and other vertebrates, this tissue corresponds mainly to the nephrogenic mesenchyme derived from the intermediate mesoderm and located near the branching ureteric bud.

During kidney organogenesis, the ureteric bud emerges from the caudal portion of the mesonephric duct and invades the surrounding metanephrogenic mesenchyme. The metanephrogenic tissue signals back to the bud, promoting branching and growth, while receiving cues that induce the mesenchyme to transition into renal epithelium. This reciprocal induction leads to the formation of the collecting system from the ureteric bud and the nephron-forming structures from the metanephrogenic mesenchyme.

Molecular and cellular components integral to metanephrogenesis include signaling pathways such as GDNF–RET that drive ureteric bud branching and WNT signaling that initiates nephron formation. Transcription factors such as PAX2 and WT1 support the specification and maintenance of nephron progenitors, while SIX2 helps preserve the nephron progenitor pool. The mesenchyme undergoes mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition to form renal vesicles that mature into nephrons.

The nephrogenic program proceeds through fetal development, and in humans nephrogenesis largely concludes before birth, with the final nephron endowment established prenatally. Variations or disruptions in metanephrogenesis can lead to congenital kidney anomalies such as hypoplasia or agenesis and contribute to broader developmental disorders of the urinary system.