title: Expression and distribution of tissue transglutaminase in normal and injured rat cornea.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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