ABSTRACT: Gene Expression Analysis of Zebrafish Melanocytes, Iridophores, and Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Reveals Indicators of Biological Function and Developmental Origin
Project description:In order to facilitate understanding of pigment cell biology, we developed a method to concomitantly purify melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium from zebrafish, and analyzed their transcriptomes. Comparing expression data from these cell types and whole embryos allowed us to reveal gene expression co-enrichment in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, as well as in melanocytes and iridophores. We found 214 genes co-enriched in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, indicating the shared functions of melanin-producing cells. We found 62 genes significantly co-enriched in melanocytes and iridophores, illustrative of their shared developmental origins from the neural crest. This is also the first analysis of the iridophore transcriptome. Gene expression analysis for iridophores revealed extensive enrichment of specific enzymes to coordinate production of their guanine-based reflective pigment. We speculate the coordinated upregulation of specific enzymes from several metabolic pathways recycles the rate-limiting substrate for purine synthesis, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, thus constituting a guanine cycle. The purification procedure and expression analysis described here, along with the accompanying transcriptome-wide expression data, provide the first mRNA sequencing data for multiple purified zebrafish pigment cell types, and will be a useful resource for further studies of pigment cell biology. mRNA profiles of zebrafish pigment cells were generated using Illumina GAIIX sequencing
Project description:In order to facilitate understanding of pigment cell biology, we developed a method to concomitantly purify melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium from zebrafish, and analyzed their transcriptomes. Comparing expression data from these cell types and whole embryos allowed us to reveal gene expression co-enrichment in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, as well as in melanocytes and iridophores. We found 214 genes co-enriched in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, indicating the shared functions of melanin-producing cells. We found 62 genes significantly co-enriched in melanocytes and iridophores, illustrative of their shared developmental origins from the neural crest. This is also the first analysis of the iridophore transcriptome. Gene expression analysis for iridophores revealed extensive enrichment of specific enzymes to coordinate production of their guanine-based reflective pigment. We speculate the coordinated upregulation of specific enzymes from several metabolic pathways recycles the rate-limiting substrate for purine synthesis, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, thus constituting a guanine cycle. The purification procedure and expression analysis described here, along with the accompanying transcriptome-wide expression data, provide the first mRNA sequencing data for multiple purified zebrafish pigment cell types, and will be a useful resource for further studies of pigment cell biology.
Project description:Young mice were compared to old mice (2 month vs 24 month) to determine gene changes that occur with aging in the mouse retinal pigmented epithelium/choroid of the eye. Keywords = retinal pigmented epithelium Keywords = aging Keywords = choroid
Project description:Human neuroblatoma cell lines (N=25) and retinal pigmented epithelium cell lines (N=4) were analyzed for gene expression under untreated/baseline growth conditions. Expression profiling and characterization of a set of Neuroblastoma and retinal pigmented epithelium cell lines
Project description:Young mice were compared to old mice (2 month vs 24 month) to determine gene changes that occur with aging in the mouse retinal pigmented epithelium/choroid of the eye. Keywords = retinal pigmented epithelium Keywords = aging Keywords = choroid Keywords: other
Project description:To characterize gene expression changes in mice following serous retinal detachments, we employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a tool to identify genes with the potential effects on the neural retina as well as retinal pigmented epithelium. Total RNA was harvested from nm3342 (mutant) and age-matched wild-type (C57Bl/6J) mice at P30 or P365 for examination using microarray analysis. Retinas and retinal pigmented epithelium was harvested from both age-matched mutant and wild-type mice.
Project description:In mammals, retinal damage is followed by Müller glia cell activation and proliferation. While retinal gliosis persists in adult mammals after an insult or disease, some vertebrates, including zebrafish, have the capacity to regenerate. We believe we are the first group to show that gliosis is a fibrotic-like process in mammals’ eyes caused by differential activation of canonical and non-canonical TGFβ signaling pathways.
