Dataset Information

Targeted ablation of NrCAM or ankyrin-B results in disorganized lens fibers leading to cataract formation.

ABSTRACT: The NgCAM-related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) is an immunoglobulin superfamily member of the L1 subgroup that interacts intracellularly with ankyrins. We reveal that the absence of NrCAM causes the formation of mature cataracts in the mouse, whereas significant pathfinding errors of commissural axons at the midline of the spinal cord or of proprioceptive axon collaterals are not detected. Cataracts, the most common cause of visual impairment, are generated in NrCAM-deficient mice by a disorganization of lens fibers, followed by cellular disintegration and accumulation of cellular debris. The disorganization of fiber cells becomes histologically distinct during late embryonic development and includes abnormalities of the cytoskeleton and of connexin50-containing gap junctions. Furthermore, analysis of lenses of ankyrin-B mutant mice also reveals a disorganization of lens fibers at postnatal day 1, indistinguishable from that generated by the absence of NrCAM, indicating that NrCAM and ankyrin-B are required to maintain contact between lens fiber cells. Also, these studies provide genetic evidence of an interaction between NrCAM and ankyrin-B.

SUBMITTER: More MI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2196853 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Targeted ablation of NrCAM or ankyrin-B results in disorganized lens fibers leading to cataract formation.

Moré M I MI Kirsch F P FP Rathjen F G FG

The Journal of cell biology 20010701 1

The NgCAM-related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) is an immunoglobulin superfamily member of the L1 subgroup that interacts intracellularly with ankyrins. We reveal that the absence of NrCAM causes the formation of mature cataracts in the mouse, whereas significant pathfinding errors of commissural axons at the midline of the spinal cord or of proprioceptive axon collaterals are not detected. Cataracts, the most common cause of visual impairment, are generated in NrCAM-deficient mice by a disorga ...[more]

PMID: 11449000

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Project description:The zebrafish has become a valuable model for examining ocular lens development, physiology and disease. The zebrafish cloche mutant, first described for its loss of hematopoiesis, also shows reduced eye and lens size, interruption in lens cell differentiation and a cataract likely caused by abnormal protein aggregation. To facilitate the use of the cloche mutant for studies on cataract development and prevention we characterized variation in the lens phenotype, quantified changes in gene expression by qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq and compared the ability of two promoters to drive expression of introduced proteins into the cloche lens. We found that the severity of cloche embryo lens cataract varied, while the decrease in lens diameter and retention of nuclei in differentiating lens fiber cells was constant. We found very low expression of both ?B-crystallin genes (cryaba and cryabb) at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) by both qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq in cloche, cloche sibling and wildtype embryos and no significant difference in ?A-crystallin (cryaa) expression. RNA-Seq analysis of 4 dpf embryos identified transcripts from 25,281 genes, with 1,329 showing statistically significantly different expression between cloche and wildtype samples. Downregulation of eight lens ?- and ?M-crystallin genes and 22 retinal related genes may reflect a general reduction in eye development and growth. Six stress response genes were upregulated. We did not find misregulation of any known components of lens development gene regulatory networks. These results suggest that the cloche lens cataract is not caused by loss of ?A-crystallin or changes to lens gene regulatory networks. Instead, we propose that the cataract results from general physiological stress related to loss of hematopoiesis. Our finding that the zebrafish ?A-crystallin promoter drove strong GFP expression in the cloche lens demonstrates its use as a tool for examining the effects of introduced proteins on lens crystallin aggregation and cataract prevention.

Dataset Information

Targeted ablation of NrCAM or ankyrin-B results in disorganized lens fibers leading to cataract formation.

Publications

Targeted ablation of NrCAM or ankyrin-B results in disorganized lens fibers leading to cataract formation.

Similar Datasets

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