title: Xenopus cadherin-6 regulates growth and epithelial development of the retina.
abstract: Cadherins are crucial for tissue cohesion, separation of cell layers and cell migration during embryogenesis. To investigate the role of classical type II Xcadherin-6 (Xcad-6), we performed loss-of-function studies by morpholino oligonucleotide injections. This resulted in severe eye defects which could be rescued with murine cadherin-6. In the absence of Xcadherin-6, morphological alterations and a decrease in cell proliferation were observed with eye cup formation. Eye field transplantations of Xcadherin-6 depleted donors yielded grafts that failed to form a proper neuroepithelium in a wildtype environment. At later developmental stages Xcadherin-6 deficient eyes showed lamination defects in the outer neural retina, a reduced thickness of the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and a fragmented retina pigment epithelium (RPE). Thus, Xcadherin-6 is essential early in eye development for structural organization and growth of the neuroepithelium before it differentiates into neural retina and RPE.
authors.affiliation: University of Karlsruhe (TH), Institute of Zoology II, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Gui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wedlich
authors.forename: Almut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koehler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D005124:Eye Abnormalities / Q000235:genetics; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012160:Retina / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; C087310:K cadherin