For example, renal inflammatory processes such as those that occur in Heymann nephritis can lead to shedding of the megalin exodomain34; both megalin and its co-receptor cubilin were downregulated in gallbladder epithelium in gallstone patients at the mRNA and protein levels41; mice fed a cholesterol rich lithogenic diet showed a reduction in megalin mRNA expression in these cells15. The gene discussed is CUBN; the disease is gallstones.