Gene expression in lens fiber cell differentiation

描述：（申请人的摘要）哺乳动物的透镜是相对简单的 由终末分化和无丝分裂的透镜纤维细胞组成的器官 前表面覆盖一层未成熟的有丝分裂的上皮细胞 细胞透镜的发展可分为两个阶段。第一阶段 导致形成透镜囊泡，第二阶段包括 透镜囊泡的生长和分化。透镜囊泡是由 从头部外胚层的一个叫做透镜基板的区域。诱导下 视泡（未来的视网膜），透镜基板内陷， 捏掉头部外胚层形成单细胞层状球体，透镜 囊泡后部的细胞（面向视泡或视网膜的细胞） 透镜囊泡分化为初级透镜纤维细胞。前 部分透镜囊泡保持为未分化的上皮。在 在透镜发育的第二阶段，上皮细胞继续增殖 在透镜赤道稍前的区域中， 增殖的上皮细胞分化成透镜纤维细胞（继发性 赤道（弓形区域）处的透镜纤维细胞）。透镜纤维细胞的形成 从透镜上皮细胞中分离涉及细胞大小和形状的显著变化。 这些变化是如何发生的？显然，它们是由基因控制的。很 重要的是，我们要了解这些基因程序， 戏剧性的变化。基因表达的改变最终导致了 这些变化。我们的目标是找出那些表达被改变的基因 在透镜纤维细胞形成过程中，利用小鼠遗传 无法正确形成透镜纤维单元的模型。识别这些 基因可能为治疗与透镜相关的视力提供临床靶点 如白内障。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The mammalian lens is a relatively simple organ composed of terminally differentiated and amitotic lens fiber cells capped on the anterior surface by a layer of immature, mitotic epithelial cells. Development of the lens can be divided into two stages. The first stage results in the formation of the lens vesicle and the second stage involves growth and differentiation of the lens vesicle. The lens vesicle is derived from the head ectoderm in a region called lens placode. Under the induction of optic vesicle (the future retina), the lens placode invaginates and eventually pinches off the head ectoderm to form a single cell layered sphere, the lens vesicle. Cells in the posterior portion (those facing optic vesicle or retina) of the lens vesicle differentiate into primary lens fiber cells. The anterior portion of the lens vesicle remains as an undifferentiated epithelium. At the second stage of lens development, the epithelial cells continue to proliferate in a region slightly anterior to the lens equator and the progeny of these proliferative epithelial cells differentiate into lens fiber cells (secondary lens fiber cells) at the equator (bow region). Formation of lens fiber cells from lens epithelial cells involves dramatic changes in cell size and shape. How do these changes occur? Obviously, they are genetically controlled. It very important for us to understand the genetic program that underlies these dramatic changes. Alterations in gene expression are ultimately responsible for these changes. Our aim is to identify those genes whose expression is altered during, the formation of lens fiber cells, by taking advantage of mouse genetic models that fail to from lens fiber cells properly. Identification of these genes may provide clinical targets for treatment of lens related vision impairment, such as cataracts.