Mastermind-like transcriptional co-activator-mediated Notch signaling is indispensable for maintaining conjunctival epithelial identity.

ABSTRACT: Conjunctival goblet cells primarily synthesize mucins to lubricate the ocular surface, which is essential for normal vision. Notch signaling has been known to associate with goblet cell differentiation in intestinal and respiratory tracts, but its function in ocular surface has yet to be fully characterized. Herein, we demonstrate that conditional inhibition of canonical Notch signaling by expressing dominant negative mastermind-like 1 (dnMaml1) in ocular surface epithelia resulted in complete suppression of goblet cell differentiation during and subsequent to development. When compared with the ocular surface of wild-type mice (OS(Wt)), expression of dnMaml1 at the ocular surface (OS(dnMaml1)) caused conjunctival epithelial hyperplasia, aberrant desquamation, failure of Mucin 5ac (Muc5ac)

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3561782 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature