Side population (SP) is reported to be a stem cell-rich population. In the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), cultured kidney SP cells differentiated into multi-lineage in collagen gel but not in synthesized polymer that has no cell adhesion factor. In cultured kidney SP cells, gene expression of kidney-specific cadherin 16 was specifically upregulated in collagen gel but not in synthesized polymer. Moreover, decreasing cadherin 16 expression using siRNA abolished LIF-induced multi-lineage differentiation of kidney SP in collagen gel. These results indicated that LIF induced multi-lineage differentiation of adult stem-like cells in kidney via cadherin 16. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.