Project description:This study is to characterize the molecular components that could contribute to the formation of lens extracellular diffusion barrier. Three regions were isolated from lens cortex using laser capture microdissection and the proteome changes in these three regions were studied.
Project description:Foxp1 was strongly expressed in developing lens, and its knockout in lens resulted in failure of appropriate lens development. By microarray analysis, we examined effects of loss-of Foxp1 for gene expression pattern of lens at P0 developmental stage.
Project description:Total RNA was isolated from three separate populations of human lens epithelial cells and three matching populations of lens cortical fiber cells. All samples were analyzed on separate microarrays. Keywords: repeat sample
Project description:SPARC is a matricellular glycoprotein involved in regulation of the extracellular matrix, growth factors, adhesion, and migration. SPARC-null mice have altered basement membranes and develop posterior sub-capsular cataracts with cell swelling and equatorial vacuoles. Exchange of fluid, nutrients, and waste products in the avascular lens is driven by a unique circulating ion current. Here we demonstrate that SPARC-null mouse lenses exhibit abnormal circulation of fluid, ion, and small molecules which leads to altered fluorescein distribution in vivo, loss of resting membrane polarization, and altered distribution of small molecules. Microarray analysis of SPARC-null lenses showed changes in gene expression of ion channels and receptors, matrix and adhesion genes, cytoskeleton, immune response genes, and cell signaling molecules. Our results demonstrate that the regulation of SPARC on cell-capsular matrix interactions can influence the circulation of fluid and ions in the lens, and the phenotype in the SPARC-null mouse lens is the result of multiple intersecting pathways. Experiment Overall Design: Lens epithelial cells from 7 lenses of littermate mice were isolated by laser capture microdissection. 3 wild-type lenses from 3 different mice and 4 knock-out lenses from 3 different mice were used as biological replicates.
Project description:Cellular differentiation is marked by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression regulated at multiple levels within the nucleus. Sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor CTCF EDIT. Topologically associated domains (TADs). Using Hi-C, we investigated changes in chromatin organization between newborn (P0.5) mouse lens fiber and epithelium and compared them to embryonic stem (ES) cells. Compartments A and B. Using ChIP-seq, we determined localization of CTCF in both lens tissues Formation of lens-specific TADs is demonstrated via comparative studies of chromatin at Pax6, Prox1, Gata3, Hsf4, and crystallin loci (to be updated) between lens and ES cell nuclei. Our study has generated the first data on nuclear organization in lens epithelium and lens fibers and directly compared these data with ES cells.
Project description:Microarray Analyses of Newborn Mouse lens lacking HSF4. Hsf4 is essential for lens development. Newborn Mouse lens expression pattern of HSF4-/- and wildtype.
Project description:Genome-wide approach to identify the cell-autonomous role of Brg1 in lens fiber cell terminal differentiation. To examine roles of Brg1 in mouse lens development, a dnBrg1 transgenic construct was expressed using the lens-specific alphaA-crystallin promoter in postmitotic lens fiber cells. Morphological studies revealed abnormal lens fiber cell differentiation in transgenic lenses resulting in cataract. Electron microscopic studies showed abnormal lens suture formation and incomplete karyolysis (denucleation) of lens fiber cells. To identify genes regulated by Brg1, RNA expression profiling was performed in E15.5 embryonic wild type and dnBrg1 transgenic lenses. In addition, comparisons between differentially expressed genes in dnBrg1 transgenic, Pax6 heterozygous, and Hsf4 homozygous lenses identified multiple genes co-regulated by Brg1, Hsf4 and Pax6. Among them DNase IIbeta, a key enzyme required for lens fiber cell denucleation, was found downregulated in each of the Pax6, Brg1 and Hsf4 model systems. Lens-specific deletion of Brg1 using conditional gene targeting demonstrated that Brg1 was required for lens fiber cell differentiation and indirectly for retinal development but was not essential for lens lineage formation. Wild type and dnBrg1 transgenic lenses, 4 biological replicates each
Project description:Total RNA was isolated from three separate populations of human lens epithelial cells and three matching populations of lens cortical fiber cells. All samples were analyzed on separate microarrays.