title: Screening for differential gene expression during the development of form-deprivation myopia in the chicken.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use the technique of differential gene display to analyze changes in gene expression that occur during the development of and recovery from form-deprivation myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The differential display-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique was used to detect cDNAs that are differentially expressed after 24 h (including 12 h in the light) after fitting with a diffuser to induce form-deprivation myopia. Messenger RNA levels were determined by quantitative Northern blotting in retinas after 11 days of form deprivation or in retinas where the diffusers had been removed the previous day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six differentially expressed genes were processed in our initial screen. Two of these, alphaB-crystallin and retinoic acid receptor-alpha, were studied further. Levels of alphaB-crystallin mRNA were increased on day 11 in retinas from form-deprived eyes relative to eyes of control chickens and were reduced to below those levels within 6 to 12 h after removal of the diffusers. Levels of retinoic acid receptor-alpha mRNA showed similar changes, except that after removal of the diffusers, the levels further increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The technique of differential gene display can be used to detect changes in gene expression during the regulation of eye growth. The response of alphaB-crystallin is particularly interesting because expression increases when eye growth is high and decreases when eye growth slows.
authors.affiliation: Visual Sciences Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. ian.morgan@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kucharski
authors.forename: Nispa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krongkaew
authors.forename: Sally I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Firth
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Megaw
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maleszka
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005556:Form Perception; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005820:Genetic Testing; D009216:Myopia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain