[Gene expression during lens transdifferentiation from pigmented epithelial cells].
Pigmented epithelial cells of chicken and human dedifferentiate in the medium containing phenylthiourea and testicular hyaluronidase, and then trans-differentiate into lens cells in vitro. To understand the molecular mechanisms of transdifferentiation, gene expression during lens transdifferentiation was analyzed. As the first step, pigment cell and lens specific genes were isolated and expression of these gene was analyzed by Northern blotting . These results clearly shown that lens transdifferentiation proceeds via neutral cell state in which both pigment and lens specific genes are repressed. Oncogene expression was also analyzed. An elevated expression of the c-myc gene was observed during dedifferentiation process. It is expected that elevated expression of c-myc gene might prevent the cells from entering the G0 phase and thus lead to dedifferentiated state.
Agata
K
K
Department of Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
Mochii
M
M
Kobayashi
H
H
Sawada
K
K
Yamamoto
T S
TS
Kodama
R
R
Eguchi
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology*; D012326:RNA Splicing