Protein expression pattern of collagen type XV in mouse cornea.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the alteration of protein expression pattern of collagen type XV in cornea during embryonic development and adult tissue repair. Collagen type XV is a basement membrane collagen of a subfamily of multiplexins (multiple triple helix domains and interruptions). Its COOH-terminal peptide has an anti-angiogenic effect and its distribution in avascular tissue of cornea is of interest.


METHODS
Eyes of mouse embryos [day (E) 10.5-18.5] and healing adult mouse corneas following either débridement injury or incision were embedded in paraffin. Deparaffinized sections were processed for immunofluorescent staining with anti-collagen XV antibody.


RESULTS
At E14.5 embryonic corneal epithelium, as well as fibroblasts in eyelids, began to express this collagen type very faintly, and at E18.5, besides corneal epithelial expression, epidermis, palpebral conjunctiva, and keratocytes started to express collagen type XV. In adult mouse cornea, collagen type XV was observed in basal and suprabasal epithelial cells and stroma, but not in the subepithelial basement membrane. Healing epithelial cells following débridement or incision injury down-regulated its protein expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Mouse embryonic corneal epithelium and keratocytes begin to express collagen type XV before birth. Healing murine corneal epithelium down-regulates collagen XV expression. The presence of collagen XV in corneal stroma may play a part in avascularity.
Saika
Shizuya
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, 641-0012, Japan. shizuya@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Okada
Yuka
Y
Miyamoto
Takeshi
T
Yamanaka
Osamu
O
Ohnishi
Yoshitaka
Y
Yamanaka
Akio
A
Ooshima
Akira
A
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D003315:Cornea / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D003646:Debridement; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000378:metabolism; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011247:Pregnancy; D014945:Wound Healing
C085811:COL15A1 protein, human; D003094:Collagen