Alternatively spliced fibronectin molecules in the wounded cornea: analysis by PCR.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether certain fibronectin isoforms participate in corneal epithelial wound healing, the authors used the polymerase chain reaction to detect different splicing patterns of the EIIIA segment of fibronectin mRNA in epithelial scrape-wounded cornea of rats.


METHODS
Specific fibronectin cDNA sequences synthesized from rat cornea with total RNA were amplified with various sets of synthetic oligonucleotide primers.


RESULTS
The authors detected both the EIIIA+ and EIIIA- fibronectin mRNA isoforms during corneal wound healing. The kinetics of corneal expression of both total fibronectin mRNA and the EIIIA- fibronectin mRNA isoform was polyphasic; an initial decrease was followed by an increase at 45 minutes, a second increase at 2 hours, and a third increase at 4 days after wounding. EIIIA+ fibronectin mRNA, not found in normal cornea, also was detected during healing.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of total fibronectin mRNA and both the EIIIA+ and EIIIA- fibronectin mRNA is upregulated during corneal epithelial wound healing. The expression of EIIIA+ fibronectin mRNA during wound healing, a fibronectin isoform that was highly expressed in embryonic tissue, suggests that this fibronectin isoform is involved functionally in corneal wound healing.
Cai
X
X
Rhoads Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston 02114.
Foster
C S
CS
Liu
J J
JJ
Kupferman
A E
AE
Filipec
M
M
Colvin
R B
RB
Lee
S J
SJ
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism*; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D004848:Epithelium / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014945:Wound Healing
D005353:Fibronectins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger