Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the corneas of Muc13 KO mice versus wild-type controls
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE335461 | GEO | 2026/06/20
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Characteristic structural details of the cornea are transparency, the absence of blood vessels, and the presence of numerous sensory nerve endings. The corneal epithelium is one of the most densely innervated tissues of the body. The characteristics of the cornea are established during fetal development, and are lost in adult life when the cornea regenerates after injury. The common reaction of the cornea to injury is the formation of opaque scars, the ingrowth of blood vessels, and distinct changes in the innervation pattern. Scar formation of the cornea is critically modulated by the expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). To identify genes that are important for corneal transparency, dense innervation and absence of blood vessels by comparing corneas from wildtype mice with those that are under the influence of high doses of TGF-beta. Transparency, dense innervation, and absence of blood vessels in the cornea all depend on the expression of a critical set of genes that are not expressed when TGF-beta is present. Mice were generated that overexpress TGF-beta under control of a strong lens-specific promoter. These mice developed opaque corneas that are vascularized and lack sensory nerves. In addition, these corneas were densely populated with cells expressing neural cell adhesion protein. RNA was isolated from corneas of transgenic animals and wildtype littermates in order to analyze differentially expressed genes and to identify those that are only expressed in transparent, avascular, and densely innervated wildtype corneas.
2008-06-15 | E-GEOD-6676 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The cornea is a protective and refractive barrier in the eye crucial for vision. Understanding the human cornea in health, disease and cell-based treatments can be greatly advanced with cornea organoids developed in culture from induced pluripotent stem cells. While a limited number of studies have investigated the single-cell transcriptomic composition of the human cornea, its organoids have not been examined similarly. Here we elucidated the transcriptomic cell fate map of 4-month-old human cornea organoids and human donor corneas. The organoids harbor cell clusters that resemble cells of the corneal epithelium, stroma and endothelium with sub-populations that capture signatures of early developmental states. Unlike the adult cornea where the largest cell population is stromal, the organoids contain large proportions of epithelial and endothelial-like cells. These corneal organoids offer a three-dimensional model to study corneal diseases and integrated responses of different cell types.
2023-01-25 | GSE218123 | GEO
Project description:The cornea is the transparent tissue at the forefront of the eye. Its outermost layer, the corneal epithelium, acts as a protective barrier for the ocular chamber. The cornea is avascular and its homeostasis relies on alternative sources to receive nutrients and growth factors, essential for maintaining its physiological functions and transparency. These sources include the corneal epithelium itself, the innervation and the tear film, collectively forming the corneal microenvironment. Any disruption to this finely balanced system (due to injury, ageing or diseases) can impair corneal transparency and lead to a progressive opacification, ultimately resulting in vision loss. Corneal blindness affects over 28 million people worldwide and represents the fourth leading cause of blindness. Among corneal injuries, abrasions are defined by a transient disruption in the integrity and cohesion of the epithelial barrier and are the most common type of eye injury encountered in clinical practice. Abrasion triggers a complex corneal wound healing process, involving the whole microenvironment, essential to restore transparency. However, a delayed or defective healing can lead to severe complications and visual impairments. Frequently caused by traumatic events, abrasion is also a mandatory step for some refractive surgeries such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying corneal wound healing is thus critical to improve the clinical outcomes and minimize the risk of complications such as haze or delayed epithelial regeneration. The aim of this study is to characterize the temporal dynamics of the tear fluid proteome following PRK and identify molecular signatures associated with corneal epithelial healing. We conducted a prospective cohort study involving longitudinal proteomic analysis of tear samples with mass spectrometry at baseline (preoperative), 30 minutes postoperatively (day 0), and on day 3 after PRK. Ten healthy adult patients undergoing bilateral PRK for myopia correction were included in this study. Corneal epithelial injury was induced by bilateral PRK, a standardized surgical model of epithelial removal followed by laser ablation.
2025-11-10 | PXD067691 | Pride
Project description:Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the corneas of Muc13 KO mice versus wild-type controls
| PRJNA1478582 | ENA
Project description:The cornea is the transparent tissue on the anterior surface of the eye. It is notably composed of a squamous stratified epithelium that forms a barrier protecting the ocular chamber. As the cornea is avascular, the delivery of nutrients and growth factors, required for corneal physiology, is essential. These nutrients and factors come from 1) the epithelium itself, 2) the innervation, and 3) the tear film, which together form the corneal microenvironment. Disturbances of this microenvironment, in the context of injury, aging or corneal pathology, can lead to progressive corneal opacification, resulting in blindness. More than 28 million people suffer from mono- or bilateral corneal blindness, making it the fourth cause of blindness worldwide. Corneal abrasion is the most common eye injury encountered in clinics, but poorly studied, making it a major issue in ophthalmology. It is characterized by a transient rupture in the integrity and cellular cohesion of the epithelial barrier, which are brought back thanks to a corneal wound healing process. The aim of this study is therefore to highlight the molecular impact of corneal abrasion on the microenvironment, and more specifically on the tear film. We performed a longitudinal study to identify a specific proteome of tears before and after corneal abrasion in mice. The corneal abrasion was performed unilaterally on female mice. Tear fluid samples were collected from the wounded eye and the contralateral eye before corneal abrasion and during the wound healing process up to 24hrs post-abrasion.
2025-11-10 | PXD061492 | Pride
Project description:TGFBIp is a constituent of the extracellular matrix in many human tissues including the cornea, where it is one of the most abundant proteins expressed. TGFBIp interacts with type I, II, IV, VI and XII collagens as well as several members of the integrin family, suggesting that it plays an important role in maintaining structural integrity and possibly corneal transparency as well. More than 60 point mutations in the TGFBI gene have been described in four types of corneal dystrophies (granular, lattice, Thiel-Behnke and Reis-Bückler). These defects are characterized by aberrant protein folding, leading to TGFBIp aggregation in the cornea and resulting in severe visual impairment and blindness. Several studies have focused on targeting TGFBIp expression in the cornea as a therapeutic approach to treat TGFBI-linked corneal dystrophies, but the effect of this approach on corneal homeostasis and integrity remained unknown. In the current study, we evaluated the histological and proteomic profiles of corneas from TGFBI-deficient mice as well as potential redundant functions of the paralogous protein periostin. The absence of TGFBIp in mouse corneas did not grossly affect the collagen scaffold, and periostin was unable to compensate for TGFBIp. However, a proteomic comparison of wild-type and TGFBI-/- mice revealed that 11 other proteins were differentially regulated, including type VI and XII collagens. Hence, the complete elimination of TGFBIp in the cornea as a treatment for TGFBI-linked corneal dystrophies may cause unintended consequences at the molecular level that are not evident at the macroscopic or functional levels.
2017-11-14 | PXD006494 | Pride
Project description:The cornea, composed of epithelium, stroma and endothelium, protects the anterior compartment of the eye from damage and allows transmission of light into the eye. While well described morphologically, no studies have investigated the global gene expression changes in the cornea throughout the mouseM-bM-^@M-^Ys life. We characterized the global gene expression profile of mouse cornea from early development through aging, and compared to gene expression in other epithelial tissue, to identify cornea enriched genes, pathways, and transcriptional regulators. We identified Ehf, an ets family transcription factor, as being highly selectively expressed in the corneal epithelium compared to the stroma, and highly expressed in cornea compared to other epithelial tissues. siRNA experiments and Ehf ChIP-Seq on mouse corneal epithelium confirm the role of this factor in promoting epithelial identity and cell differentiation, and suggest it carries out these functions through interactions with other cornea epithelial differentiation factors including Klf4. Whole eye globes were dissected from wild type CB6 mice. Corneal epithelium was isolated by digestion in 50% EMEM/dispase II with 50 mM sorbitol for two hours at 37M-BM-0C. ChIP was performed with an Ehf antibody, and was sequenced with an input control.
2013-08-27 | E-GEOD-44741 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The cornea, composed of epithelium, stroma and endothelium, protects the anterior compartment of the eye from damage and allows transmission of light into the eye. While well described morphologically, no studies have investigated the global gene expression changes in the cornea throughout the mouse’s life. We characterized the global gene expression profile of mouse cornea from early development through aging, and compared to gene expression in other epithelial tissue, to identify cornea enriched genes, pathways, and transcriptional regulators. We identified Ehf, an ets family transcription factor, as being highly selectively expressed in the corneal epithelium compared to the stroma, and highly expressed in cornea compared to other epithelial tissues. siRNA experiments and Ehf ChIP-Seq on mouse corneal epithelium confirm the role of this factor in promoting epithelial identity and cell differentiation, and suggest it carries out these functions through interactions with other cornea epithelial differentiation factors including Klf4.
2013-08-27 | GSE44741 | GEO
Project description:The identification of a marker that is expressed in the conjunctival epithelium but not in the corneal epithelium has been a growing need. A more specific marker of limbal and conjunctival epithelia would be necessary to detect non-corneal epithelial cells on the corneal surface. To search for conjunctival specific marker(s), we first performed preferential gene profiling in the conjunctiva in direct comparison to that in the cornea using microarray technique. The study consisted of gene expression profiles comparing the cornea and conjunctiva.
2011-06-09 | E-GEOD-29402 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The cornea is the transparent tissue covering the anterior part of the eye. Its main roles are to convey the light toward the retina, and to act as a protective barrier against infection or injury for the eye. The transparency of the cornea is a crucial component of its functionality and is the result of specific architecture and cell arrangements. The inner layer of the cornea is the endothelium, composed of a monolayer of endothelial cells. The next layer is the stroma, representing about two third of the thickness of the cornea, and is mainly composed of a specifically arranged extracellular matrix, secreted by few keratocytes1–4. Finally, the external layer is a life-long renewed pluristratified epithelium. The regulated epithelial homeostasis, crucial to maintain the corneal transparency, relies on stem and progenitor cells5. To coordinate epithelial homeostasis and healing, and to adequately respond to any change in the corneal environment, this tissue is highly innervated6,7. The corneal innervation is mainly composed of A and C sensory fibres whose cell bodies are located in the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal ganglion8. Those fibres penetrate the corneal stroma from the periphery, as bundles of fibres branching and spreading within the stroma9. When entering in the epithelium, the fibres branche again and radiate horizontally to form the subbasal plexus. Finally, the sensory fibres shift orientation to reach the top of the epithelium, where they end up as free nerve endings6,7. There are three classes of fibres innervating the cornea: the mechano-nociceptors, the cold sensing neurons and the polymodal nociceptors, reacting respectively to mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli10,11. Stimuli transduction is not the only role of the corneal innervation, as these fibres have a crucial role on epithelial homeostasis through the secretion of trophic factors essential for epithelial cell survival12. Due to its localization, the cornea is highly exposed to ultraviolet radiation and high oxygen tension, making it particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial defects13. These defects can be either inherited or non-inherited. Inherited forms result from mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear gene defects affecting mitochondrial function14. Inherited mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor in the progression of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and keratoconus13,15,16. Non-inherited mitochondrial dysfunction, on the other hand, can occur due to spontaneous mtDNA mutations or somatic mutations that accumulate with age, rendering the mitochondrial metabolism less efficient with time17. To date, the impact of inherited mitochondrial dysfunctions on corneal epithelium physiology has not been extensively studied. Case reports have linked mitochondrial diseases to corneal cloudiness18,19, perforation20 and edema21. Furthermore, mitochondrial defect was associated to inflammatory context and ROS production in ocular surface pathologies13,22. Despite these studies, the direct effect of mitochondrial disfunction on corneal biology remains elusive. Among the known pathologies originating from an inherited mitochondrial dysfunction, the dominant optic atrophy (DOA) is an inherited blinding disease caused by the degenescence of the retinal cell ganglions forming the optic nerve23. The mutation of the gene OPA1 is responsible for the majority of the DOA diagnostics. OPA1 gene encodes for a mitochondrial protein involved in the fusion process and is essential to maintain the organelle integrity. Generally, optic neuropathy is the characteristic syndrome for DOA, but a subset of patients, called dominant optic atrophy plus (DOA+), also declare extra-ocular syndromes such as ataxia, deafness and peripheral neuropathies24,25. A mouse model, bearing the OPA1delTTAG mutation, recapitulates the degenerative syndromes encountered in DOA+ patients25.. While DOA is associated with lens cloudiness, no report has linked DOA to ocular surface defects. Here, we investigated the impact of OPA1 delTTAG mutation on mouse cornea as its structure includes a large amout of sensory fibres that are crucial to maintain corneal homeostasis.
2024-07-25 | PXD052337 | Pride