Fig. 3. A theoretical model of podocyte maturation and foot process assembly. (A) Two podocytes (blue) begin as discs of columnar epithelial cells, which are attached along their entire lateral membranes. (B) Podocytes lose their lateral cell attachments except at their base, and begin to interdigitate along the basal aspect of the lateral membrane. (C) Podocyte cell bodies become independent of each other, but remain attached through interdigitated foot processes.