title: Identification of Wnt/β-catenin modulated genes in the developing retina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During mammalian eye development, the restriction of Wnt/β-catenin signaling at the junction of the neural retina and the retinal pigment epithelium in the peripheral eyecup is required for the development of the ciliary margin, a non-neural region of the eyecup that is the precursor of the ciliary body and iris of the adult eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  To identify genes that are modulated by β-catenin activity in the embryonic retina, we performed gene expression profiling in Li(+)-treated retinal explants, a pharmacological model of β-catenin activation. The Li(+)-modulated gene data set was searched for β-catenin/T-cell specific transcription factor binding sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional annotations of this data set revealed significant enrichments for genes involved in chromatin organization, neurogenesis, and cell motion/migration. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis confirmed the modulation of 12 genes in Li(+)-treated explants and retinas of mice with Cre-mediated induction of constitutively active β-catenin (β-cat(act)). In situ hybridization revealed β-catenin-specific upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (P21) [Cdkn1a] and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 19 (Tnfrsf19) in the developing retina consistent with the antineurogenic and proliferation changes associated with ectopic Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the eyecup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This data set of Li(+)-modulated genes provides a valuable resource for characterizing the Wnt/ β-catenin regulated gene network in eyecup patterning.
authors.affiliation: Vision Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perez-Iratxeta
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mears
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C409471:Tnfrsf19 protein, mouse; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C515905:Pak1 protein, mouse; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D018021:Lithium Chloride