Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the single most common cause of albuminuria and end-
stage kidney disease in the United States. We found increased expression of Wnt/β-catenin
(Ctnnb1) pathway transcripts and proteins in glomeruli and podocytes of patients and mouse
models of DKD. Mice with podocyte-specific expression of stabilized Ctnnb1 exhibited
basement membrane abnormalities, albuminuria, and increased susceptibility to glomerular
injury. Mice with podocyte-specific deletion of Ctnnb1 or podocyte-specific expression of the …