Expression and distribution of tissue transglutaminase in normal and injured rat cornea.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the expression and distribution of tissue transglutaminase (TG(C)) and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in rat cornea during epithelial wound healing.


METHODS
Corneal epithelial defects were created in rat corneas, and TG(C) expression was examined by Northern blot analysis, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining after the injury. The presence of fibrinogen, laminin-1, nidogen/entactin, and type collagen was also determined immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
TG(C) was expressed in normal corneas. During the early wound healing process, TG(C) mRNA expression was up-regulated and TG(C) immunoreactivity was predominantly expressed in the migrating epithelial cells. ECM proteins were also expressed in a similar pattern as TG(C).


CONCLUSIONS
The sites and time course of TG(C) expression indicate that TG(C) probably plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the cornea and in promoting epithelial wound healing. The simultaneous expression of TG(C) and ECM proteins suggests that the ECM proteins probably operate in concert with TG(C) in corneal wound healing.
Zhang
Wei
W
Department of Ophthalmology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
Shiraishi
Atsushi
A
Suzuki
Atsushi
A
Zheng
Xiaodong
X
Kodama
Toshio
T
Ohashi
Yuichi
Y
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003315:Cornea / Q000201:enzymology; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000201:enzymology*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D007797:Laminin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C121346:laminin 1; C029967:nidogen; D005340:Fibrinogen; D003094:Collagen; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins