Connexin50 is essential for normal postnatal lens cell proliferation
Connexin50 is essential for normal postnatal lens cell proliferation
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DOI:
10.1167/iovs.04-0194
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发表时间:
2004-09-01
影响因子:
4.4
通讯作者:
White, TW
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Sellitto, C;Li, LP;White, TW
PURPOSE. Connexin50 (Cx50) is absolutely essential for normal postnatal lens growth. Deletion of Cx50 or replacement with Cx46 by knockin resulted in smaller lenses containing fewer cells. To determine why Cx50-deficient lenses fail to grow normally, cell proliferation was assayed during the period of growth failure.METHODS. Wild-type, Cx50-knockout, and Cx50KI46 mice were injected with 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine ( BrdU) and lenses were dissected and fixed after 1 hour or 24 hours. BrdU incorporation was visualized by immunocytochemical staining, and the mitotic index (MI) was determined between postnatal day (P) 0 and P6. Levels of total ERK and phospo-ERK were determined by Western blot analysis.RESULTS. On P2 to P3, wild-type lenses displayed a significantly increased MI not evident in knockout lenses, and knockin lenses only partially rescued the growth deficit. Reductions in the number of mitotic cells did not reflect a decrease in the rate of cell division and temporally correlated with reduction in lens mass. Levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 were identical in wild-type and Cx50-deficient lens epithelia.CONCLUSIONS. These results demonstrate that Cx50-mediated communication is necessary to achieve peak mitosis. In addition, they suggest a novel mitogenic role for gap junctional coupling that is connexin specific and independent of MAPK signaling.