Project description:Signals from the lens regulate multiple aspects of eye development, including establishment of eye size, patterning of the presumptive iris and ciliary body in the anterior optic cup and migration and differentiation of neural crest cells. To advance understanding of the molecular regulation of eye development by the lens, we performed transcriptome analysis of lens-removed and contralateral unoperated embryonic chicken eyes. Lens-regulated genes implicated in periocular mesenchyme, cornea and anterior optic cup development were identified. Identified candidates included genes known to be regulated by lens-derived signals and important for anterior eye development, including WNT pathway genes. Factors not previously implicated in eye development also were identified, paving the way for additional research in this area. Genes associated with nervous system development were upregulated in lens-removed eyes, but the presumptive ciliary body and iris region did not adopt a neural retina identity following lens removal. Intriguingly, transcriptomic differences were identified in retinas from male versus female chicken embryos, suggesting sexual dimorphism from early stages. These analyses have identified candidate genes and biological pathways involved in eye development, providing avenues for new research in this area.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of zebrafish early eye development on 3 to 5 days post fertilization (dpf) Gene expression on 3 to 5 dpf eyes were compared. Each sample contains three replicates.
Project description:Mutations in Peroxidasin (PXDN) cause severe inherited eye disorders in humans, such as congenital cataract, corneal opacity, and developmental glaucoma. The role of peroxidasin during eye development is poorly understood. Here we describe the first Pxdn mouse mutant which was induced by ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea) and led to a recessive phenotype. Sequence analysis of cDNA revealed a T3816A mutation resulting in a premature stop codon (Cys1272X) in the peroxidase domain. This mutation causes severe anterior segment dysgenesis and microphthalmia resembling the manifestations in patients with PXDN mutations. The proliferation and differentiation of the lens is disrupted in association with aberrant expression of transcription factor genes (Pax6 and Foxe3) in mutant eyes. Additionally, Pxdn is involved in the consolidation of the basement membrane and lens epithelium adhesion in the ocular lens. Lens material including γ-crystallin is extruded into the anterior and posterior chamber due to local loss of structural integrity of the lens capsule as a secondary damage to the anterior segment development leading to congenital ocular inflammation. Moreover, Pxdn mutants exhibited an early-onset glaucoma and progressive retinal dysgenesis. Transcriptome profiling revealed that peroxidasin affects the transcription of developmental and eye diseases-related genes at early eye development. These findings suggest that peroxidasin is necessary for cell proliferation and differentiation and for basement membrane consolidation during eye development. Our studies provide pathogenic mechanisms of PXDN mutation-induced congenital eye diseases.
Project description:eyeless (ey) is one of the most critical transcription factors for initiating the entire eye development in Drosophila. However, the molecular mechanisms through which Ey regulates target genes and pathways have not been characterized at the genomic level. Using ChIP-Seq, we generated an endogenous Ey binding profile in Drosophila developing eyes. These data sets will serve as a valuable resource for future studies on Ey and eye development.
Project description:The discovery of somatic recurrent driver mutations in Histone H3.3 has profoundly revolutionized our understanding of high-grade gliomas (HGG) in children. Mutations in H3.3K27M and H3.3K36M disrupt normal gene regulation associated with eye development, piRNA biogenesis primarily through transposable element derepression. The regulation of transposable elements (TEs) is intricately linked to DNA methylation, particularly in mammalian models. This regulatory process is orchestrated through the interplay of key molecular players, namely the ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins and DNA methyltransferases. We aim in this study to elucidate the interplay between mammalian TET2 and endogenous Drosophila Tet (dTet) concerning the H3.3K27M -induced eye phenotypes. Our findings demonstrate that the co-expression of the mTET2 R43G (non-catalytic) mutant with H3.3K27M amplifies the eye overgrowth phenotypes. Furthermore, the overexpression of dTet exacerbates the eye phenotype irrespective of H3.3K27M expression. Interestingly, overexpression of dTet upregulates wingless (wg); a key regulator in the Wnt signaling pathway and eye development, potentially repressing essential transcription factors required for eye specification resulting in the complete loss of eyes. Our results identify a novel role of dTet in the early stages of eye development, elucidating its impact on both retinal determination and wingless signaling pathways, which collectively regulate eye growth and differentiation.