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The key intrinsic cell of the glomerulus is the podocyte, which is described as the “organiser and caretaker” of glomerular structure and function (Leeuwis et al., 2010). Podocytes (also known as visceral epithelial cells) are terminally differentiated pericyte-like epithelial cells that form the outer exocapillary layer of the glomerular filtration barrier. They have a critical function in maintaining normal glomerular capillary permeability and functional integrity (Marshall and Shankland, 2007). The aim of this chapter is to summarize the current research on the contribution of podocytes to the disease process in glomerulonephritis in connection to the mTOR signaling pathway. During glomerular development, the podocyte has a central role in integrating signals from the other glomerular resident cells to form the proper basic structure of the glomerular filtration unit (Eremina and Quaggin, 2004). Podocytes line the outer aspect of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and physiologically have a unique and complex cytostructure consisting of three morphologically and functionally distinct segments: a cell body, foot processes and the slit diaphragm (Mundel and Kriz, 1995). Major processes arise from the cell body and split into foot processes. The foot processes contain an actin-based cytoskeleton that is linked to the glomerular basement membrane at focal contacts (Faul et al., 2007). Podocyte foot processes form a highly branched interdigitating network which enwrap the glomerular capillaries, and are connected by the slit diaphragm. Three distinct membrane compartments form the foot processes: the basal side, the apical side, and the slit filtration diaphragm. The basal side connects the podocyte to the GBM with several types of integrins and dystroglycans (Pavenstadt et al., 2003). It also plays a role in endocytosis of albumin and IgG trapped in the GBM, offering possibilities for drug delivery (Eyre J, 2007) (Akilesh S, 2008). The apical side contains negatively charged proteins such as podocalyxin, a sialoglycoprotein, and podoplanin which form a glycocalyx layer and thereby contribute to charge-selectivity of the glomerular filtrate (Koop et al., 2008) (Orlando RA, 2001) (Kerjaschki D, 1984). The slit diaphragm is the most complex layer of the glomerular filtration barrier, with a constant width of 40 nm (Tryggvason et al., 2006, Benzing, 2004). The main function of the slit diaphragm is to form a size-selective barrier for proteins and since many of the slit diaphragm proteins are phosphorylated, this contributes to the charge-selective element (Tryggvason K,

Role of the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Signalling Pathway in Podocytes in Glomerular Disease