Effect of Retinoic Acid on Gene Expression in Human Conjunctival Epithelial Cell Line

ABSTRACT: Purpose. How vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of the wet-surfaced phenotype at the ocular surface is not well understood. We sought to identify vitamin A responsive genes in ocular surface epithelia using gene microarray analysis of cultures of a human conjunctival epithelial cell line (HCjE) grown with all-trans-retinoic acid (RA). The analysis showed that the membrane-associated mucin MUC16 was induced by RA and that secretory phospholipase A2 Group IIA (sPLA2-IIA), the gene most upregulated by RA, was induced earlier. Since eicosanoids, metabolites of arachidonic acid, which is produced by sPLA2 catalysis of membrane phospholipids, have been demonstrated to affect mucin production, we sought to determine if the sPLA2 induction in HCjE cells was associated with RA induction of MUC16. Methods. HCjE cells were cultured with or without RA for 3, 6, 24 and 48 hours. Complementary RNA prepared from RNA of the HCjE cells was hybridized to human gene chips (HG-U133A; Affymetrix) and analyzed using Rosetta Resolver software. Microarray data on mucin expression were validated by real-time PCR. To investigate whether sPLA2 is associated with RA-induced MUC16 upregulation, HCjE cells were incubated with RA and the broad spectrum PLA2 inhibitor, aristolochic acid (ArA) or the specific sPLA2-IIA inhibitor LY315920, followed by analysis of MUC16 mRNA and protein by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Results. After RA addition, 28 transcripts were upregulated and 6 downregulated by over 2.0-fold (p < 0.01) at both 3 and 6 hours (early phase). Eighty gene transcripts were upregulated and 45 downregulated at both 24 and 48 hours (late phase). Group IIA sPLA2, significantly upregulated by 24 hours, and MUC16 were the most upregulated RNAs by RA at 48 hours. sPLA2 upregulation by RA was confirmed by Western blot analysis. When HCjE cells were incubated with RA plus ArA or specific inhibitor of sPLA2-IIA, LY315920, the RA-induced MUC16 mRNA was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The retinoic acid-associated upregulation of membrane-associated mucin MUC16 at late phase appears to be through sPLA2-IIA. Upregulation of this hydrophilic membrane-associated mucin may be one of the important mechanisms by which vitamin A facilitates maintenance of the wet-surfaced phenotype on the ocular surface. Keywords: time course

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE2835 | GEO | 2005/12/20

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA92467

REPOSITORIES: GEO