title: Expression of transforming growth factor β and fibroblast growth factor 2 in the lens epithelium of Morioka cataract mice.
abstract: In the Morioka cataract (MCT) mice, lens opacity appears at 6 to 8 weeks of age, and swollen lens fiber is electron-microscopically observed at 3 weeks after birth. The present study was designed to characterize the expression of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of TGFβ in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice was stronger than that of the wild-type ddY mice at 2 and 4 weeks after birth. The expression of TGFβ receptors (TGFβRI and TGFβRII) and FGF2 in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice was stronger than that of the wild-type ddY mice at 4 weeks and weaker than that of the wild-type ddY mice at 15 weeks after birth. Using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that expression of TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 mRNA in the lens of 2-week-old MCT mice was significantly higher compared to age-matched wild-type ddY mice. These findings indicate that the lens epithelium of MCT mice has increased expression of TGFβ before cataract affection and that changes in the expression of FGF2 as well as TGFβ may contribute to the progression of the cataract in the mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Structural Biosciences, Division of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumi-Sano, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiga-Hashimoto
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mino
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: Ken Takeshi
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; C509042:Tgfb2 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
keywords: Morioka cataract mouse; fibroblast growth factor; hereditary cataract mouse model; lens epithelium; transforming growth factor β