title: A potential role for beta- and gamma-crystallins in the vascular remodeling of the eye.
abstract: We demonstrate that expression of beta- and gamma-crystallins is associated with intraocular vessels during normal vascular development of the eye and also in the Nuc1 rat, a mutant in which the hyaloid vascular system fails to regress normally. Real-Time RT PCR, Western blot and metabolic labeling studies indicate an increased expression of beta- and gamma-crystallins in Nuc1 retina. The increased expression of crystallins was localized to the astrocytes surrounding the intraocular vessels. A similar pattern of crystallin expression was also observed in the retinal vessels during normal development. Cultured human astrocytes exposed to 3-nitropropionic acid, an established model of neuronal hypoxia, increased VEGF expression, as expected, but also increased expression of crystallins. Our data suggest that crystallins may function together with VEGF during vascular remodeling. Interestingly, in human PFV (persistent fetal vasculature) disease, where the hyaloid vasculature abnormally persists after birth, we show that astrocytes express both VEGF and crystallins.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Gehlbach
authors: Celine
authors: C
authors: Gongora
authors: Marisol
authors: M
authors: Cano
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Fariss
authors: Stacey
authors: S
authors: Hose
authors: Avindra
authors: A
authors: Nath
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Green
authors: Morton F
authors: MF
authors: Goldberg
authors: J Samuel
authors: JS
authors: Zigler
authors: Debasish
authors: D
authors: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D038204:beta-Crystallins / Q000502:physiology*; D038222:gamma-Crystallins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D038204:beta-Crystallins; D038222:gamma-Crystallins