Gene profiles and mutations in the development of cataracts in the ICR rat model of hereditary cataracts.

ABSTRACT: Cataracts are opacifications of the lens that cause loss of visual acuity and ultimately of eyesight. Age-related cataract develops in most elderly people, but the mechanisms of cataract onset are incompletely understood. The Ihara Cataract Rat (ICR) is an animal model of hereditary cataracts showing cortical opacity that commonly develops prematurely. We identified putative mechanisms of cataract onset in the ICR rat model by measuring gene expression changes before and after cortical cataract development and conducting point mutation analysis. Genes differentially expressed between 4-week-old animals without cortical cataracts and 8-10-week-old animals with cortical cataracts were selected from microarray analysis. Three connections were identified by STRING analysis: (i) Epithelial-Mese

SUBMITTER: Takashima M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10598066 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature