scholarly journals Reduced Expression of Cytoskeletal and Extracellular Matrix Genes in Human Adult Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells Exposed to Simulated Microgravity

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Corydon ◽  
Vivek Mann ◽  
Lasse Slumstrup ◽  
Sascha Kopp ◽  
Jayashree Sahana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Western Blotting ◽  
Pathway Analysis ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Fluorescent Microscopy ◽  
Human Adult ◽  
The Impact

Background/Aims: Microgravity (µg) has adverse effects on the eye of humans in space. The risk of visual impairment is therefore one of the leading health concerns for NASA. The impact of µg on human adult retinal epithelium (ARPE-19) cells is unknown. Methods: In this study we investigated the influence of simulated µg (s-µg; 5 and 10 days (d)), using a Random Positioning Machine (RPM), on ARPE-19 cells. We performed phase-contrast/fluorescent microscopy, qRT-PCR, Western blotting and pathway analysis. Results: Following RPM-exposure a subset of ARPE-19 cells formed multicellular spheroids (MCS), whereas the majority of the cells remained adherent (AD). After 5d, alterations of F-actin and fibronectin were observed which reverted after 10d-exposure, suggesting a time-dependent adaptation to s-µg. Gene expression analysis of 12 genes involved in cell structure, shape, adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis suggested significant changes after a 10d-RPM-exposure. 11 genes were down-regulated in AD and MCS 10d-RPM-samples compared to 1g, whereas FLK1 was up-regulated in 5d- and 10d-RPM-MCS-samples. Similarly, TIMP1 was up-regulated in 5d-RPM-samples, whereas the remaining genes were down-regulated in 5d-RPM-samples. Western blotting revealed similar changes in VEGF, β-actin, laminin and fibronectin of 5d-RPM-samples compared to 10d, whereas different alterations of β-tubulin and vimentin were observed. The pathway analysis showed complementing effects of VEGF and integrin β-1. Conclusions: These findings clearly show that s-µg induces significant alterations in the F-actin-cytoskeleton and cytoskeleton-related proteins of ARPE-19, in addition to changes in cell growth behavior and gene expression patterns involved in cell structure, growth, shape, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis.

scholarly journals Comparative gene expression study and pathway analysis of the human iris- and the retinal pigment epithelium

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. e0182983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Bennis ◽  
Jacoline B. ten Brink ◽  
Perry D. Moerland ◽  
Vivi M. Heine ◽  
Arthur A. Bergen
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Retinal Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Pathway Analysis ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Gene Expression Study ◽  
Expression Study ◽  
Human Iris

scholarly journals Dopamine 2 receptor signaling controls the daily burst in phagocytic activity in the mouse retinal pigment epithelium

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varunika Goyal ◽  
Christopher DeVera ◽  
Virginie Laurent ◽  
Jana Sellers ◽  
Micah A. Chrenek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Pathway Analysis ◽  
Phagocytic Activity ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Integrin Signaling ◽  
One Year ◽  
Dopamine 2 Receptor ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurposeA burst in phagocytosis of spent photoreceptor outer fragments by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a rhythmic process occurring 1-2 hours after the onset of light. This phenomenon is considered crucial for the health of the photoreceptors and RPE. We have recently reported that dopamine, via dopamine 2 receptor (D2R), shifts the circadian rhythm in the RPE.MethodsHere, we first investigated the impact of the removal of D2R on the daily peak of phagocytosis by RPE and then we analyzed the function and morphology of retina and RPE in the absence of D2R.ResultsD2R KO mice do not show a daily burst of phagocytic activity after the onset of light. Also, in contrast to control, phosphorylation of FAK did not increase significantly in KO mice at ZT1. RNA sequencing revealed a total of 394 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ZT23 and ZT1 in the control mice, whereas in D2R KO mice, we detected 1054 DEGs. Pathway analysis of the gene expression data implicated integrin signaling to be one of the upregulated pathways in control but not in D2R KO mice. No difference in retinal thickness, visual function, or morphology of RPE cells was observed between WT and D2R KO mice at the age of 3 and 12 months.ConclusionsOur data suggest that removal of D2R prevents the burst in phagocytosis and a related increase in the phosphorylation of FAK after light onset. The pathway analysis points towards a putative role of D2R in controlling integrin signaling, which is known to play an important role in the control of the daily burst of phagocytosis by the RPE. Our data also indicate that the absence in the burst of phagocytic activity in the early morning does not produce any apparent deleterious effect on the retina or RPE up to one year of age.

scholarly journals Pre-treatment clinical and gene expression patterns predict developmental change in early intervention in autism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael V. Lombardo ◽  
Elena Maria Busuoli ◽  
Laura Schreibman ◽  
Aubyn C. Stahmer ◽  
Tiziano Pramparo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Treatment Outcome ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Gene Expression Patterns ◽  
Time In Treatment ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Blood Leukocyte ◽  
The Impact

AbstractEarly detection and intervention are believed to be key to facilitating better outcomes in children with autism, yet the impact of age at treatment start on the outcome is poorly understood. While clinical traits such as language ability have been shown to predict treatment outcome, whether or not and how information at the genomic level can predict treatment outcome is unknown. Leveraging a cohort of toddlers with autism who all received the same standardized intervention at a very young age and provided a blood sample, here we find that very early treatment engagement (i.e., <24 months) leads to greater gains while controlling for time in treatment. Pre-treatment clinical behavioral measures predict 21% of the variance in the rate of skill growth during early intervention. Pre-treatment blood leukocyte gene expression patterns also predict the rate of skill growth, accounting for 13% of the variance in treatment slopes. Results indicated that 295 genes can be prioritized as driving this effect. These treatment-relevant genes highly interact at the protein level, are enriched for differentially histone acetylated genes in autism postmortem cortical tissue, and are normatively highly expressed in a variety of subcortical and cortical areas important for social communication and language development. This work suggests that pre-treatment biological and clinical behavioral characteristics are important for predicting developmental change in the context of early intervention and that individualized pre-treatment biology related to histone acetylation may be key.

scholarly journals Role of amyloid β-peptide in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000774
Author(s):  
Minwei Wang ◽  
Shiqi Su ◽  
Shaoyun Jiang ◽  
Xinghuai Sun ◽  
Jiantao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Amyloid Β Peptide ◽  
Age Related

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common eye disease in elderly patients, which could lead to irreversible vision loss and blindness. Increasing evidence indicates that amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) might be associated with the pathogenesis of AMD. In this review, we would like to summarise the current findings in this field. The literature search was done from 1995 to Feb, 2021 with following keywords, ‘Amyloid β-peptide and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Inflammation and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Angiogenesis and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Actin cytoskeleton and amyloid β-peptide’, ‘Mitochondrial dysfunction and amyloid β-peptide’, ‘Ribosomal dysregulation and amyloid β-peptide’ using search engines Pubmed, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Aβ congregates in subretinal drusen of patients with AMD and participates in the pathogenesis of AMD through enhancing inflammatory activity, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, altering ribosomal function, regulating the lysosomal pathway, affecting RNA splicing, modulating angiogenesis and modifying cell structure in AMD. The methods targeting Aβ are shown to inhibit inflammatory signalling pathway and restore the function of retinal pigment epithelium cells and photoreceptor cells in the subretinal region. Targeting Aβ may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for AMD.

scholarly journals The Impact of Oxidative Stress on Blood-Retinal Barrier Physiology in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Annamaria Tisi ◽  
Marco Feligioni ◽  
Maurizio Passacantando ◽  
Marco Ciancaglini ◽  
Rita Maccarone
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Blood Retinal Barrier ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact

The blood retinal barrier (BRB) is a fundamental eye component, whose function is to select the flow of molecules from the blood to the retina and vice-versa, and its integrity allows the maintenance of a finely regulated microenvironment. The outer BRB, composed by the choriocapillaris, the Bruch’s membrane, and the retinal pigment epithelium, undergoes structural and functional changes in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness worldwide. BRB alterations lead to retinal dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Several risk factors have been associated with AMD onset in the past decades and oxidative stress is widely recognized as a key factor, even if the exact AMD pathophysiology has not been exactly elucidated yet. The present review describes the BRB physiology, the BRB changes occurring in AMD, the role of oxidative stress in AMD with a focus on the outer BRB structures. Moreover, we propose the use of cerium oxide nanoparticles as a new powerful anti-oxidant agent to combat AMD, based on the relevant existing data which demonstrated their beneficial effects in protecting the outer BRB in animal models of AMD.

Transduction of mouse retina by insect cell packaged recombinant adeno-associated virusess and their mutants via intravitreal injection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wei ◽  
Xiaomei Liu ◽  
Taiming Li ◽  
Xiaofang Li ◽  
Qungang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Pigment Epithelium ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Mouse Retina ◽  
Transduction Efficiency ◽  
Egfp Expression ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Gene Therapy Vector

Aim: Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is the most preferred gene therapy vector. The purpose of our research is to compare the infection tropism and gene expression efficiency of vitreous injection of recombinant AAVs (rAAVs) and their capsid mutants in mouse retina. Materials & methods: We packaged wild-type rAAV2/2,6,8,9 and their capsid mutants carrying EGFP expression cassette using insect cells. The gene expression profiles of rAAVs and their mutants in mouse retina were evaluated by optical imaging of retinal tissue flat mount and cryosections. Results & conclusion: The results showed that rAAV2 and rAAV2-Y444F mainly targeted retinal ganglion cell; rAAV8, rAAV8-Y733F, rAAV9 and mutants had obvious EGFP expression in retinal pigment epithelium cells. Compared with the wild-type rAAVs, capsid mutants have an improved transduction efficiency in mouse retina cells.

scholarly journals Toxoplasma infection alters dopamine-sensitive behaviors and host gene expression patterns associated with neuropsychiatric disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham L. Cromar ◽  
Jonathan Epp ◽  
Ana Popovic ◽  
Yusing Gu ◽  
Violet Ha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Differentially Expressed Genes ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorders ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Gene Expression Patterns ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Cocaine Exposure ◽  
Multiple Testing Correction ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTToxoplasma gondii is a single celled parasite thought to infect 1 in 3 worldwide. During chronic infection, T. gondii can migrate to the brain where it promotes low-grade neuroinflammation with the capacity to induce changes in brain morphology and behavior. Consequently, infection with T. gondii has been linked with a number of neurocognitive disorders including schizophrenia (SZ), dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Beyond neuroinflammation, infection with T. gondii can modulate the production of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. To further dissect these pathways and examine the impact of altered dopaminergic sensitivity in T. gondii-infected mice on both behavior and gene expression, we developed a novel mouse model, based on stimulant-induced (cocaine) hyperactivity. Employing this model, we found that infection with T. gondii did not alter fear behavior but did impact motor activity and neuropsychiatric-related behaviurs. While both behaviors may help reduce predator avoidance, consistent with previous studies, the latter finding is reminiscent of neurocognitive disorders. Applying RNASeq to two relevant brain regions, striatum and hippocampus, we identified a broad upregulation of immune responses. However, we also noted significant associations with more meaningful neurologically relevant terms were masked due to the sheer number of terms incorporated in multiple testing correction. We therefore performed a more focused analysis using a curated set of neurologically relevant terms revealing significant associations across multiple pathways. We also found that T. gondii and cocaine treatments impacted the expression of similar functional pathways in the hippocampus and striatum although, as indicated by the low overlap among differentially expressed genes, largely via different proteins. Furthermore, while most differentially expressed genes reacted to a single condition and were mostly upregulated, we identified gene expression patterns indicating unexpected interactions between T. gondii infection and cocaine exposure. These include sets of genes which responded to cocaine exposure but not upon cocaine exposure in the context of T. gondii infection, suggestive of a neuroprotective effect advantageous to parasite persistence. Given its ability to uncover such complex relationships, we propose this novel model offers a new perspective to dissect the molecular pathways by which T. gondii infection contributes to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

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