A transient expression of alpha B-crystallin in the developing rat retinal pigment epithelium.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of alpha B-crystallin in the developing rat retina by immunohistochemical techniques.


METHODS
Rat eyes were enucleated on embryonic day 18 and on postnatal days 1, 4, 9, 15, 19, and 90. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was applied to show alpha B-crystallin immunostaining. After the cornea and lens were removed, the developing rat eyeballs were solubilized by 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to detect alpha B-crystallin in the extracts.


RESULTS
From postnatal day 4 to postnatal day 9, alpha B-crystallin was present in retinal pigment epithelium, but it disappeared after postnatal day 15. alpha A-crystallin immunoreactivity was negative in retina and retinal pigment epithelium throughout development. The results of Western blot analysis and ELISA coincided with those of the immunostaining.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that retinal pigment epithelium in mammalian rat retina demonstrates alpha B-crystallin expression in the early developmental stages but loses it after 15 days of age.
Nishikawa
S
S
Department of Opthalmology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai.
Ishiguro
S
S
Kato
K
K
Tamai
M
M
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003459:Crystallins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats
D003459:Crystallins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009842:Oligopeptides