Growth and transparency in the lens, an epithelial tissue, stimulated by pulses of PDGF

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) of the ocular lens

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) reside in most cells; on their surface, in the pericellular milieu and/or extracellular matrix. In the eye, HSPGs can orchestrate the activity of key signalling molecules found in the ocular environment that promote its development and homeostasis. To date, our understanding of the specific roles played by individual HSPG family members, and the heterogeneity of their associated sulfated HS chains, is in its infancy. The crystalline lens is a relatively simple and well characterised ocular tissue that provides an ideal stage to showcase and model the expression and unique roles of individual HSPGs. Individual HSPG core proteins are differentially localised to eye tissues in a temporal and spatial developmental- and cell-type specific manner, and their loss or functional disruption results in unique phenotypic outcomes for the lens, and other ocular tissues. More recent work has found that different HS sulfation enzymes are also presented in a cell- and tissue-specific manner, and that disruption of these different sulfation patterns affects specific HS-protein interactions. Not surprisingly, these sulfated HS chains have also been reported to be required for lens and eye development, with dysregulation of HS chain structure and function leading to pathogenesis and eye-related phenotypes. In the lens, HSPGs undergo significant and specific changes in expression and function that can drive pathology, or in some cases, promote tissue repair. As master signalling regulators, HSPGs may one day serve as valuable biomarkers, and even as putative targets for the development of novel therapeutics, not only for the eye but for many other systemic pathologies.

Generation of Lens Progenitor Cells and Lentoid Bodies from Pluripotent Stem Cells: Novel Tools for Human Lens Development and Ocular Disease Etiology

In vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specialized tissues and organs represents a powerful approach to gain insight into those cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating human development. Although normal embryonic eye development is a complex process, generation of ocular organoids and specific ocular tissues from pluripotent stem cells has provided invaluable insights into the formation of lineage-committed progenitor cell populations, signal transduction pathways, and self-organization principles. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in generation of adenohypophyseal, olfactory, and lens placodes, lens progenitor cells and three-dimensional (3D) primitive lenses, "lentoid bodies", and "micro-lenses". These cells are produced alone or "community-grown" with other ocular tissues. Lentoid bodies/micro-lenses generated from human patients carrying mutations in crystallin genes demonstrate proof-of-principle that these cells are suitable for mechanistic studies of cataractogenesis. Taken together, current and emerging advanced in vitro differentiation methods pave the road to understand molecular mechanisms of cataract formation caused by the entire spectrum of mutations in DNA-binding regulatory genes, such as PAX6, SOX2, FOXE3, MAF, PITX3, and HSF4, individual crystallins, and other genes such as BFSP1, BFSP2, EPHA2, GJA3, GJA8, LIM2, MIP, and TDRD7 represented in human cataract patients.

Insights into the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms mediating the longevity of the transparent optics of the eye lens

In the human eye, a transparent cornea and lens combine to form the "refracton" to focus images on the retina. This requires the refracton to have a high refractive index "n," mediated largely by extracellular collagen fibrils in the corneal stroma and the highly concentrated crystallin proteins in the cytoplasm of the lens fiber cells. Transparency is a result of short-range order in the spatial arrangement of corneal collagen fibrils and lens crystallins, generated in part by post-translational modifications (PTMs). However, while corneal collagen is remodeled continuously and replaced, lens crystallins are very long-lived and are not replaced and so accumulate PTMs over a lifetime. Eventually, a tipping point is reached when protein aggregation results in increased light scatter, inevitably leading to the iconic protein condensation-based disease, age-related cataract (ARC). Cataracts account for 50% of vision impairment worldwide, affecting far more people than other well-known protein aggregation-based diseases. However, because accumulation of crystallin PTMs begins before birth and long before ARC presents, we postulate that the lens protein PTMs contribute to a "cataractogenic load" that not only increases with age but also has protective effects on optical function by stabilizing lens crystallins until a tipping point is reached. In this review, we highlight decades of experimental findings that support the potential for PTMs to be protective during normal development. We hypothesize that ARC is preventable by protecting the biochemical and biophysical properties of lens proteins needed to maintain transparency, refraction, and optical function.

Double Deletion of PI3K and PTEN Modifies Lens Postnatal Growth and Homeostasis

We have previously shown that the conditional deletion of either the p110α catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), or its opposing phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), had distinct effects on lens growth and homeostasis. The deletion of p110α reduced the levels of phosphorylated Akt and equatorial epithelial cell proliferation, and resulted in smaller transparent lenses in adult mice. The deletion of PTEN increased levels of phosphorylated Akt, altered lens sodium transport, and caused lens rupture and cataract. Here, we have generated conditional p110α/PTEN double-knockout mice, and evaluated epithelial cell proliferation and lens homeostasis. The double deletion of p110α and PTEN rescued the defect in lens size seen after the single knockout of p110α, but accelerated the lens rupture phenotype seen in PTEN single-knockout mice. Levels of phosphorylated Akt in double-knockout lenses were significantly higher than in wild-type lenses, but not as elevated as those reported for PTEN single-knockout lenses. These results showed that the double deletion of the p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K and its opposing phosphatase, PTEN, exacerbated the rupture defect seen in the single PTEN knockout and alleviated the growth defect observed in the single p110α knockout. Thus, the integrity of the PI3K signaling pathway was absolutely essential for proper lens homeostasis, but not for lens growth.

Lens Connexin Channels Have Differential Permeability to the Second Messenger cAMP

Purpose

Gap junction channels exhibit connexin specific biophysical properties, including the selective intercellular passage of larger solutes, such as second messengers. Here, we have examined the cyclic nucleotide permeability of the lens connexins, which could influence events like epithelial cell division and differentiation.

Methods

We compared the cAMP permeability through channels composed of Cx43, Cx46, or Cx50 using simultaneous measurements of junctional conductance and intercellular transfer. For cAMP detection, the recipient cells were transfected with a cAMP sensor gene, the cyclic nucleotide-modulated channel from sea urchin sperm (SpIH). cAMP was introduced via patch pipette into the cell of the pair that did not express SpIH. SpIH-derived currents were recorded from the other cell of a pair that expressed SpIH. cAMP permeability was also directly visualized in transfected cells using a chemically modified fluorescent form of the molecule.

Results

cAMP transfer was observed for homotypic Cx43 channels over a wide range of junctional conductance. Homotypic Cx46 channels also transferred cAMP, but permeability was reduced compared with Cx43. In contrast, homotypic Cx50 channels exhibited extremely low permeability to cAMP, when compared with either Cx43, or Cx46.

Conclusions

These data show that channels made from Cx43 and Cx46 result in the intercellular delivery of cAMP in sufficient quantity to activate cyclic nucleotide-modulated channels. The data also suggest that the greatly reduced cAMP permeability of Cx50 channels could play a role in the regulation of cell division in the lens.

The Phosphoinosotide 3-Kinase Catalytic Subunit p110α is Required for Normal Lens Growth

Purpose

Signal transduction pathways influence lens growth, but little is known about the role(s) of the class 1A phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks). To further investigate how signaling regulates lens growth, we generated and characterized mice in which the p110α and p110β catalytic subunits of PI3K were conditionally deleted in the mouse lens.

Methods

Floxed alleles of the catalytic subunits of PI3K were conditionally deleted in the lens by using MLR10-cre transgenic mice. Lenses of age-matched animals were dissected and photographed. Postnatal lenses were fixed, paraffin embedded, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Cell proliferation was quantified by labeling S-phase cells in intact lenses with 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine. Protein kinase B (AKT) activation was examined by Western blotting.

Results

Lens-specific deletion of p110α resulted in a significant reduction of eye and lens size, without compromising lens clarity. Conditional knockout of p110β had no effect on lens size or clarity, and deletion of both the p110α and p110β subunits resulted in a phenotype that resembled the p110α single-knockout phenotype. Levels of activated AKT were decreased more in p110α- than in p110β-deficient lenses. A significant reduction in proliferating cells in the germinative zone was observed on postnatal day 0 in p110α knockout mice, which was temporally correlated with decreased lens volume.

Conclusions

These data suggest that the class 1A PI3K signaling pathway plays an important role in the regulation of lens size by influencing the extent and spatial location of cell proliferation in the perinatal period.

The Patched 1 tumor-suppressor gene protects the mouse lens from spontaneous and radiation-induced cataract

Age-related cataract is the most common cause of visual impairment. Moreover, traumatic cataracts form after injury to the eye, including radiation damage. We report herein that sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays a key role in cataract development and in normal lens response to radiation injury. Mice heterozygous for Patched 1 (Ptch1), the Shh receptor and negative regulator of the pathway, develop spontaneous cataract and are highly susceptible to cataract induction by exposure to ionizing radiation in early postnatal age, when lens epithelial cells undergo rapid expansion in the lens epithelium. Neonatally irradiated and control Ptch1(+/-) mice were compared for markers of progenitors, Shh pathway activation, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Molecular analyses showed increased expression of the EMT-related transforming growth factor β/Smad signaling pathway in the neonatally irradiated lens, and up-regulation of mesenchymal markers Zeb1 and Vim. We further show a link between proliferation and the stemness property of lens epithelial cells, controlled by Shh. Our results suggest that Shh and transforming growth factor β signaling cooperate to promote Ptch1-associated cataract development by activating EMT, and that the Nanog marker of pluripotent cells may act as the primary transcription factor on which both signaling pathways converge after damage. These findings highlight a novel function of Shh signaling unrelated to cancer and provide a new animal model to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of cataract formation.

New insights into the mechanism of lens development using zebra fish

On the basis of recent advances in molecular biology, genetics, and live-embryo imaging, direct comparisons between zebra fish and human lens development are being made. The zebra fish has numerous experimental advantages for investigation of fundamental biomedical problems that are often best studied in the lens. The physical characteristics of visible light can account for the highly coordinated cell differentiation during formation of a beautifully transparent, refractile, symmetric optical element, the biological lens. The accessibility of the zebra fish lens for direct investigation during rapid development will result in new knowledge about basic functional mechanisms of epithelia-mesenchymal transitions, cell fate, cell-matrix interactions, cytoskeletal interactions, cytoplasmic crowding, membrane transport, cell adhesion, cell signaling, and metabolic specialization. The lens is well known as a model for characterization of cell and molecular aging. We review the recent advances in understanding vertebrate lens development conducted with zebra fish.

The control of lens growth: relationship to secondary cataract

A lens growth factor was identified that is present in the anterior chamber of the embryonic chicken eye. The mitogen is similar to an embryo-specific activity found in embryo serum. Several purified growth factors, applied singly or in combination, did not stimulate cell division in embryonic lens cells. The serum mitogen is a protein which does not bind to heparin-Sepharose. The possibility is presented that the lens epithelium contains two distinct cell types, the proliferating cells of the germinative zone and the mitotically quiescent central epithelial cells. It is proposed that only cells in the germinative zone are capable of responding to normal lens growth factors. It is likely, therefore, that these cells present the greatest risk for secondary cataract formation.

Homeodomain protein Pitx3 maintains the mitotic activity of lens epithelial cells

Pitx3 is a bicoid like homeobox transcription factor of which deficiency in mice is linked with the aphakia phenotype. Mutation in human PITX3 gene is associated with autosomal dominant cataract with variable anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis. However, the molecular events causing the morphological changes in aphakia remains unknown. In this study we investigated the behaviour of GFP tagged Pitx3 null embryonic stem cells in chimeric lens, as well as the molecular features of the Pitx3-deficient lens of homozygous Pitx3 knockout mice. We show that the lack of colonisation of Pitx3-deficient ES cell derivatives in Pitx3 wild-type<-->Pitx3 null chimeric lens was due to the depletion of the epithelial cells in lens epithelium manifested by aberrant cell cycle exit and precocious onset of fibre cell differentiation of the Pitx3 null cells at the lens vesicle stage. This was demonstrated by the early activation of the cell cycle inhibitors p27Kip1 and p57Kip2, and the expression of beta-and gamma-crystallins. These defects are at least partially attributed to the loss of FoxE3 and misexpression of Prox1 in the lens vesicle epithelial cells. Thus, Pitx3 is essential to maintain lens epithelial phenotype and prevent inappropriate fibre cell differentiation during lens development.

Age-dependent control of lens growth by hypoxia

PURPOSE

The lens grows continuously throughout life, but the factors that influence the size of the adult lens are not known. Lens thickness is a significant risk factor for age-related cataract. It has been postulated that the hypoxic environment in the eye protects the lens from nuclear cataracts. The authors sought to determine whether the Po(2) in the eye regulates lens growth.

METHODS

Lens cell proliferation was determined by counting BrdU-labeled and total nuclei in the germinative zone in flatmounts of lens epithelia. Oxygen levels in the eye were altered by having rats breathe 11%, 21% (room air), or 60% oxygen. Oxygen levels in the vitreous were measured with a fiberoptic oxygen sensor.

RESULTS

The BrdU-labeling index in the germinative zone declined from approximately 3.5% at 1 month to less than 0.7% at 8 months. Raising oxygen levels in the eyes of 1-month-old animals did not alter the rate of lens cell proliferation. Elevating intraocular oxygen in animals older than 1 month increased proliferation to the more rapid rate seen at 1 month. Decreasing oxygen levels below their normally low level did not affect the BrdU-labeling index at any age. Chronic exposure to increased oxygen led to the production of more lens fiber cells and larger lenses.

CONCLUSIONS

Normal age-related decline in lens growth requires the low oxygen level normally present in the eye. Increases in lens cell number and mass may account for some of the increase in cataract risk caused by chronic exposure of the lens to elevated oxygen levels.

Aqueous humour- and growth factor-induced lens cell proliferation is dependent on MAPK/ERK1/2 and Akt/PI3-K signalling

The aqueous humour of the eye is a rich source of growth factors, many of which have been shown to be lens cell mitogens; however, the identity of the endogenous mitogen(s) for lens cells is still unknown. As a first approach to identify the mechanisms by which these aqueous humour-derived growth factors induce lens cell proliferation, the present study set out to examine MAPK/ERK1/2 and PI3-K/Akt signalling associated with lens cell proliferation. Using a lens explant system, we examined the effects of different lens mitogens (aqueous humour, FGF, PDGF, IGF and EGF) using 5'-2'-bromo-deoxyuridine incorporation. In addition, we adopted immunolabelling techniques to compare the roles that the ERK1/2 and PI3-K signalling pathways play in regulating lens cell proliferation. We showed that the aqueous humour, and all the other growth factors examined, could activate ERK1/2 and PI3-K/Akt signalling. By targeting these pathways using specific pharmacological inhibitors, we were able to show that both ERK1/2 and PI3-K signalling are required for growth factor-induced lens cell proliferation, and that there was a strong correlation between the spatial distribution of proliferating cells in lens explants with ERK1/2 labelling. Furthermore, our blocking studies confirmed that PI3-K/Akt signalling can act upstream of ERK1/2, potentiating ERK1/2 phosphorylation in growth factor-induced lens cell proliferation. A better understanding of the signalling pathways required for aqueous humour-induced lens cell proliferation may ultimately allow us to identify the mitogen(s) that are important for regulating lens cell proliferation in situ.

Can lenticular factors improve the posttrauma fate of neurons?

The intraocular lens has recently been recognized as a potential source for neuroprotective and neurite-promoting activities. The lens is ontogenetically and functionally a peculiar intraocular tissue with the unique feature of performing incomplete cellular apoptosis throughout the lifetime. The ectodermally derived epithelial cells permanently divide to produce the nuclei- and organelle-free lens fibre cells that allow for the optical transparency. The underlying extremely specific physical, biochemical, metabolic and structural mechanism lead to efficient protection from photo-oxidative stress caused by exposure to short-wavelength light. The fact that fibre cells undergo incomplete apoptosis is also of crucial importance to other cellular systems. In particular, injured nerve cells such as axotomized retinal ganglion cells may profit from the apoptosis-blocking mechanisms operating within the lens fibres. In this review we first discuss some factors involved in the lens differentiation and partial apoptosis as a basic principle of long-term survival. We then present recent experimental evidence that lenticular factors also operate outside the lens, and in particular within the retina to contribute to axonal regeneration, e.g. after a trauma. In turn, factors such as GAP-43 that were thought to be exclusively expressed within nervous tissue have now also been discovered within the lenticular tissue. Experiments of the direct confrontation of lenticular epithelial and fibre cells with regenerating ganglion cell axons in vitro are presented. It is concluded that survival factors supplied by the lens might be used to facilitate survival within neuronal tissue.

The cellular and molecular bases of vertebrate lens regeneration

Lens regeneration takes place in some vertebrates through processes of cellular dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation, processes by which certain differentiated cell types can give rise to others. This review describes the principal forms of lens regeneration that occur in vivo as well as related in vitro systems of transdifferentiation. Classic experimental studies are reviewed that define the tissue interactions that trigger these events in vivo. Recent molecular analyses have begun to identify the genes associated with these processes. These latter studies generally reveal tremendous similarities between embryonic lens development and lens regeneration. Different models are proposed to describe basic molecular pathways that define the processes of lens regeneration and transdifferentiation. Finally, studies are discussed suggesting that fibroblast growth factors play key roles in supporting the process of lens regeneration. Retinoids, such as retinoic acid, may also play important roles in this process.

Delivery of genes and fluorescent dyes into cells of the intact lens by particle bombardment

The authors report the use of a particle bombardment technique to deliver exogenous genes and fluorescent dyes into living fibre cells in the intact lens. Gold particles were coated with plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) or the lipophilic fluorescent probes DiI and DiO. The particles were introduced into embryonic chicken or neonatal mouse lenses using a pressurized helium charge. A significant fraction of particles penetrated the capsule and came to rest in the superficial lens cortex. Over the range tested, varying the particle size or the pressure of the helium charge had little effect on the final distribution of particles within the lens. Particle bombardment was used initially to deliver DiI and DiO into the lens. Within a few hours, bombarded lenses exhibited multicolored membranous labelling of individual, elongating fibre cells. The particle bombardment technique was also used to introduce a plasmid encoding GFP. After overnight incubation, many fibre cells in the bow region expressed GFP. On close examination by confocal reflectance microscopy, each expressing cell was found to contain a gold particle lodged in its nucleus. The authors examined the fate of GFP-expressing fibre cells over a period of 1 week in organ culture. In the embryonic chicken lens, transfected fibres showed modest (approximately two-fold) elongation. In contrast, GFP-expressing mouse lens fibres underwent dramatic elongation, reaching the anterior and posterior sutures after 7 days in culture. These species differences may reflect the fact that mitosis continued at a near normal rate in the cultured mouse lens but declined precipitously in the cultured chicken lens. These results suggest that particle bombardment, in conjunction with appropriate cell culture conditions, may prove useful in visualizing the behaviour of differentiating fibre cells in the living intact lens in vitro.

Time-patterned drug administration: insights from a modeling approach

The physiological effects of a drug depend not only on its molecular structure but also on the time-pattern of its administration. One of the main reasons for the importance of temporal patterns in drug action is biological rhythms--particularly those of circadian period. These rhythms affect most physiological functions as well as drug metabolism, clearance, and dynamic processes that may alter drug availability and target cell responsiveness with reference to biological time. We present an overview of the importance of time-patterned signals in physiology focused on the insights provided by a modeling approach. We first discuss examples of pulsatile intercellular communication by hormones such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signals in Dictyostelium amoebae. Models based on reversible receptor desensitization account in both cases for the existence of optimal patterns of pulsatile signaling. Turning to circadian rhythms, we examine how models can be used to account for the response of 24h patterns to external stimuli such as light pulses or gene expression, and to predict how to restore the physiological characteristics of altered rhythms. Time-patterned treatments of cancer involve two distinct lines of research. The first, currently evaluated in clinical trials, relies on circadian chronomodulation of anticancer drugs, while the second, mostly based on theoretical studies, involves a resonance phenomenon with the cell-cycle length. We discuss the implications of modeling studies to improve the temporal patterning of drug administration.

18 kDa protein tyrosine phosphatase in the ocular lens

Protein tyrosyl phosphorylation and dephosphorylation play essential roles in regulating cellular events such as proliferation and differentiation, and their involvement in the lens development and transparency is also suggested. The level of tyrosine phosphorylation in a given protein is regulated by the opposing actions of protein-tyrosine kinases (Tyr kinases) and protein-tyrosine phosphatases (TyrPases). Recent studies have revealed that some Tyr kinases, such as platelet-derived growth factor receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor, are present in the lens, however, little is known about TyrPases in the lens. In this study, we found a 18 kDa protein tyrosine phosphatase (18 kDa TyrPase) predominantly present in the ocular lens of various animals. We purified the phosphatase from the lens of chick embryo and characterized its activity.Phosphatase activity was determined in chick embryo, mouse, rabbit and bovine lenses using p -nitrophenyl phosphate (p NPP) as substrate. All lenses examined dephosphorylated p NPP under acidic conditions, and a large portion of the activity resided in a low molecular weight protein, ca. 18 kDa, following high-resolution gel permeation column chromatography. The brain and liver showed high dephosphorylation activities, but most of their activity was present in high molecular weight fractions, unlike that in the lens. The 18 kDa phosphatase was purified from the lens of 17 day old chick embryos to near-homogeneity with two-step rapid chromatography. This phosphatase showed strict substrate specificity for phosphotyrosine and phosphotyrosyl peptides, suggesting that it was a kind of protein tyrosine phosphatases (TyrPases). Several known inhibitors of TyrPases, such as SH blockers, vanadate and phenylarsine oxide, strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The molecular weight, substrate specificity, and responses to various inhibitors and activators coincide well with those reported for the low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-TyrPase), belonging to the TyrPase superfamily. These results suggest that the 18 kDa phosphatase found in the lens is a LMW-TyrPase. The 18 kDa TyrPase is the predominant phosphatase in the ocular lens. It may be involved in regulation of lens cell proliferation, differentiation and/or lens transparency.

Global analysis of a model pulsing drug delivery oscillator based on chemomechanical feedback with hysteresis

A simple model for an autonomous pulsing drug delivery system was previously introduced. This model involves negative feedback action, with hysteresis, of an enzyme on the permeability of a membrane through which substrate, at constant external concentration, must diffuse to reach the enzyme. The qualitative dynamics of this model permit, depending on system parameters and external driving substrate concentration, two separate single steady state, double steady state, and permanently alternating (oscillatory) behaviors. The present contribution is concerned with rigorous proofs regarding the global stability of steady states when permanent alternation is precluded, and the existence and globally asymptotic stability of a limit cycle in the permanently alternating case. Also, we prove that more restrictive but often realistic conditions on the system parameters imply limitations on the number of alternations the system can undergo before reaching steady state. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Temporal and spatial growth patterns in the normal and cataractous human lens

This study presents a computational model of the growth of the normal human lens and the induction of spoke-like cortical cataract in the aging lens. The anterior lens is modelled as a 2-D disk with a circumferential germinative zone. Lens cortical fibre cells in the same generation cover the surface in three identical 120 deg growth wedge-shaped sectors, with centre cardinal fibres at the 90, 210 and 330 deg meridians. In the foetal lens all primary fibre cells begin to elongate simultaneously. Anterior migration is spatially asynchronous, where the centre fibre begins to move towards the anterior pole first. The fibres at the end of the sector move last in the anterior direction. Fibre elongation advanced at constant speed until the boundary of the sector is reached. Spatio-temporal asynchrony and random fluctuations were increased for the adult lens. The model foetal lens evolved Y-shaped sutures anteriorly, and an inverted Y-shaped posteriorly. Fibre length varied periodically with meridional angle. The adult lens displayed irregular growth. If clusters of germinative cells are caused to opacify the resultant opacities are predominantly spoke-shaped. The model mimics crystalline lens fibre growth to the extent of successfully evolving lens sutures. Fluctuations in lens mass are consistent with an ordered pattern of growth. Lens senescence includes a progressive loss of spatio-temporal synchrony in fibre migration from the germinative zone. Peripheral light focusing by the anterior eye is a possible explanation for the nasal predilection and cuneiform shape of age-related cortical cataract.

Pulsatile protein release from a laminated device comprising polyanhydrides and pH-sensitive complexes

A laminated device comprising of polyanhydrides as isolating layers and pH-sensitive complexes as protein-loaded layers was designed to deliver proteins in a pulsatile manner. Poly(sebacic anhydride)-b-polyethylene glycol (PSA-b-PEG) and poly(trimellitylimidoglycine-co-sebacic anhydride)-b-polyethylene glycol (P(TMA-gly-co-SA)-b-PEG) were synthesized as isolating layers for their good processing properties at room temperature and suitable erosion duration. During the erosion period, pH of the dissolution fluid decreases to a low value (3.8-5.8). Poly(methacrylic acid)/polyethoxazoline (PMAA/PEOx) complex was used as protein-loaded layers, which could dissociate and release model proteins, Myoglobin (Mb) and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), at pH 7.4 while become stable and retained the drugs below pH 5.0. The protein release from the device showed a typical pulsatile fashion. The lag time prior to the pulsatile protein release correlated with the hydrolytic duration of the polyanhydrides, which varied from 30 to 165 h by selecting polyanhydride type and isolating layer thickness. In addition, the pulse duration could be adjusted from 18.5 to 40 h by varying the mass of the complex. The results can be attributed to the synergistic effects between the degrading polyanhydrides, pH-sensitive complexes and proteins.

A forkhead gene, FoxE3, is essential for lens epithelial proliferation and closure of the lens vesicle

In the mouse mutant dysgenetic lens (dyl) the lens vesicle fails to separate from the ectoderm, causing a fusion between the lens and the cornea. Lack of a proliferating anterior lens epithelium leads to absence of secondary lens fibers and a dysplastic, cataractic lens. We report the cloning of a gene, FoxE3, encoding a forkhead/winged helix transcription factor, which is expressed in the developing lens from the start of lens placode induction and becomes restricted to the anterior proliferating cells when lens fiber differentiation begins. We show thatFoxE3 is colocalized with dyl in the mouse genome, thatdyl mice have mutations in the part of FoxE3 encoding the DNA-binding domain, and that these mutations cosegregate with thedyl phenotype. During embryonic development, the primordial lens epithelium is formed in an apparently normal way in dylmutants. However, instead of the proliferation characteristic of a normal lens epithelium, the posterior of these cells fail to divide and show signs of premature differentiation, whereas the most anterior cells are eliminated by apoptosis. This implies that FoxE3 is essential for closure of the lens vesicle and is a factor that promotes survival and proliferation, while preventing differentiation, in the lens epithelium.

Changes in cyclin dependent kinase expression and activity accompanying lens fiber cell differentiation

Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that differentiating lens fiber cells contain two active cyclin dependent kinases (Cdks), Cdk1 and Cdk5. The present study was undertaken to explore the expression and regulation of six additional members of the Cdk family (Cdk2, Cdk3, Cdk4, Cdk6, Cdk7 and Cdk8) during lens differentiation. Differentiating lens fiber cells were separated from lens epithelial cells by microdissection of developing rat lenses [embryonic day 16 (E16) to postnatal day 8 (P8)] and Cdk expression was assessed by RT-PCR and immunoblotting. Two Cdks (Cdk3 and Cdk6) were not expressed in lens fiber cells or epithelial cells during this developmental period. In the lens epithelium, we detected proteins and mRNAs corresponding to all other Cdks examined (Cdk2, Cdk4, Cdk7, Cdk8) throughout this developmental period. Epithelial cells showed significant Cdk2 activity, which decreased with developmental age, but no significant activity was detected for Cdk4, Cdk7, or Cdk8. Fiber cells contained all four Cdk proteins and the corresponding Cdk mRNAs except for Cdk2 mRNA. None of the Cdks examined showed significant kinase activity in fiber cells. Immunoprecipitates of Cdk2 and Cdk4 from fiber cells contained p57(kip2), supporting the view that this Cdk inhibitor blocks the activity of these Cdks in lens fibers. In contrast, p57(kip2)did not co-immunoprecipitate with Cdk5 from lens fibers. These findings suggest that the differential affinity of p57(kip2)for members of the Cdk family may provide a mechanism for specific regulation of individual Cdks during fiber cell differentiation.

Autonomous gel/enzyme oscillator fueled by glucose: Preliminary evidence for oscillations

A novel prototype gel oscillator that functions by dissipating the chemical energy of glucose by an enzyme-mediated reaction is proposed. The product of the reaction modulates the degree of swelling and hence the permeability of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) gel membrane which in turn regulates the flow of substrate to the enzyme. No external energy is required aside from the chemical energy of glucose present externally at constant concentration. A negative chemomechanical feedback loop is established which, coupled with hysteresis in the membrane permeability characteristics, produces pulsing oscillations. In this study, we introduce a simple model which provides guidelines for experimental design, and report preliminary experimental evidence for oscillation. Application of this prototype system to the episodic delivery of drugs and hormones is envisaged. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.

Lens cytoskeleton and transparency: a model

The function of the cytoskeleton in lens was first considered when cytoplasmic microtubules were observed in elongating fibre cells of the chick lens nearly 40 years ago. Since that time, tubulin, actin, vimentin and intermediate filaments have been identified and found to function in mitosis, motility and cellular morphology during lens cell differentiation. A role for the cytoskeleton in accommodation has been proposed and modification of the cytoskeletal proteins has been observed in several cataract models. Recently, a progressive increase in protein aggregation and lens opacification was found to correspond with the loss of cytoskeletal protein in the selenite model for cataract. In the present report a model is proposed for the role of tubulin, actin, vimentin, spectrin and the lens-specific filaments, filensin and CP49, in the establishment and maintenance of transparent lens cell structure.

Cellular aspects of trophic actions in the nervous system

During the past three decades the number of molecules exhibiting trophic actions in the brain has increased drastically. These molecules promote and/or control proliferation, differentiation, migration, and survival (sometimes even the death) of their target cells. In this review a comprehensive overview of small diffusible factors showing trophic actions in the central nervous system (CNS) is given. The factors discussed are neurotrophins, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factors, ciliary neurotrophic factor and related molecules, glial-derived growth factor and related molecules, transforming growth factor-beta and related molecules, neurotransmitters, and hormones. All factors are discussed with respect to their trophic actions, their expression patterns in the brain, and molecular aspects of their receptors and intracellular signaling pathways. It becomes evident that there does not exist "the" trophic factor in the CNS but rather a multitude of them interacting with each other in a complicated network of trophic actions forming and maintaining the adult nervous system.

AlphaB-crystallin in the rat lens is phosphorylated at an early post-natal age

We determined the developmental changes in the phosphorylation state of alphaB-crystallin in lenses from rats at various post-natal ages by isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis or sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a subsequent Western blot analysis of extracts of lenses using antibodies that recognized the carboxy-terminal sequence or each of the three phosphorylated serine residues (Ser-19, Ser-45 and Ser-59) in alphaB-crystallin. Phosphorylated forms of alphaB-crystallin were barely detected at birth but they became detectable at 3 weeks of age and reached plateau levels at 8 weeks of age. The phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin at Ser-45 was observed preferentially. The active form of p44/42 MAP kinase, which is responsible for the phosphorylation of Ser-45 in alphaB-crystallin, also increased in a development-dependent manner. Thus we found that the developmental increase of the phosphorylation at Ser-45 of alphaB-crystallin in the rat lens was due to the developmental activation of p44/42 MAP kinase.

Activation of the Jak-STAT-signaling pathway in embryonic lens cells

Previous studies showed that lens epithelial cells proliferate rapidly in the embryo and that a lens mitogen, most likely derived from the blood, is present in the anterior chamber of the embryonic eye (Hyatt, G. A., and Beebe, D. C., Development 117, 701-709, 1993). Messenger RNAs for several growth factor receptors have been identified in embryonic lens epithelial cells. We tested several growth factors that are ligands for these receptors for their ability to maintain lens cell proliferation. Embryo serum, PDGF, GM-CSF, and G-CSF maintained lens cell proliferation, but NGF, VEGF, and HGF did not. This and a previous study (Potts, J. D., Harocopos, G. J., and Beebe, D. C., Curr. Eye Res. 12, 759-763, 1993) detected members of the Janus kinase family (Jaks) in the developing lens. Because Jaks are central players in the Jak-STAT-signaling pathway, we identified STAT proteins in the lens and tested whether they were phosphorylated in response to mitogens. STAT1 and STAT3, but not STAT 5 were detected in chicken embryo lens epithelial cells. Only STAT3 was found in terminally differentiated lens fiber cells. STAT1 and STAT3 were phosphorylated in lens cells analyzed immediately after removal from the embryo and when lens epithelial explants were treated with embryo serum, PDGF, or GM-CSF, but not with NGF. Chicken embryo vitreous humor or IGF-1, factors that stimulate lens cell differentiation, but not proliferation, did not cause STAT phosphorylation. When lens epithelial cells were cultured for 4 h in unsupplemented medium, STAT1 and STAT3 declined to nearly undetectable levels. Treatment with PDGF or embryo serum for an additional 15 min restored STAT1 and -3 levels. This recovery was blocked by cycloheximide, but not actinomycin D, suggesting that STAT levels are regulated at the level of translation. STAT levels were maintained in epithelial explants by lens mitogens, but not by factors that stimulated lens fiber differentiation. Both factors that stimulated lens cell proliferation and those that caused fiber differentiation protected cultured lens epithelial cells from apoptosis. These data suggest that the factor(s) responsible for lens cell proliferation in vivo activates the Jak-STAT-signaling pathway. They also indicate that growth factors maintain STAT protein levels in lens epithelial cells by promoting the translation of STAT mRNA, an aspect of STAT regulation that has not been described previously. Signaling by most of the growth factors and cytokines known to activate the Jak-STAT pathway has been disrupted in mice by mutation or targeted deletion. Consideration of the phenotypes of these mice suggests that the factor responsible for lens cell proliferation in vivo may be a growth factor or cytokine that has not yet been described.

Molecular regulators involved in vertebrate eye development

Development of the eye can be subdivided into three phases. The first phase is the formation of the major structures of the eye by the processes of induction and regional specification. The second is the maturation of these structures to form the functional eye, and the third phase is the formation of neuronal connections between retina and the optic tectum. These processes are tightly regulated by signalling cascades that direct axonal outgrowth, cellular proliferation and differentiation. Some members of these signalling cascades have been identified in recent studies. These include secreted factors which transmit signals extracellularly, and receptors and transcription factors which are members of intracellular signalling pathways that respond to extracellular signals. This review summarizes the recent research that has implicated these factors in playing a role in eye development on the basis of functional or expression criteria.

The differential effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on the gap junctions and connexins of the developing mammalian lens

Epithelial cells in primary ovine lens cultures express the gap junction proteins connexin43 (Cx43) and connexin49 (Cx49; a.k.a. MP70), a homologue of mouse connexin50. In contrast, lens cultures of differentiated, fiber-like cells (termed lentoid cells) express Cx49 and connexin46 (Cx46), but not Cx43. To investigate the regulation of lens cell gap junctions by protein kinase C (PKC), differentiating lens cultures were treated with the PKC activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (beta-TPA). Within 10 min, beta-TPA significantly inhibited the transfer of Lucifer Yellow dye between epithelial, but not lentoid, cells. This inhibition was correlated with the phosphorylation of Cx43 and was followed by the gradual disappearance of Cx43 from cell interfaces. The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine prevented Cx43 phosphorylation and the loss of Cx43 from intercellular junctions. Following treatment of cultures with beta-TPA for 2-6 hr, Cx49 disappeared from epithelial cell interfaces, and by 24 hr of beta-TPA treatment, levels of Cx49 detected on immunoblots of purified epithelial membrane fractions had also diminished significantly. The beta-TPA-induced loss of Cx49 both from regions of epithelial cell contact and from isolated membranes was correlated with the disappearance of Cx49 mRNA. In contrast to the epithelial connexins, the lentoid connexins Cx49 and Cx46 were unaffected by even extended beta-TPA treatment. In spite of lentoid dye transfer being refractory to beta-TPA, significant levels of PKC-alpha (a beta-TPA-sensitive isoform) were detected in the lentoid cell. The response of lens gap junctions to beta-TPA depends upon the stage of differentiation and the complement of connexins expressed. The contrasting effects of beta-TPA on Cx43 and Cx49 in lens epithelial cells indicate a fundamental difference in the regulation of these connexin proteins in the developing mammalian lens.

Progression of mouse buthionine sulfoximine cataracts in vitro is inhibited by thiols or ascorbate

Mouse lens cultures were employed to study the progression of cataracts initiated by injection of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis. Culture of lenses removed from untreated mice on postnatal day 7, for 48 hr in the presence of 4 mm BSO, resulted in only limited cataractous changes. To enable substantial progression of cataracts in vitro, it was therefore necessary to pretreat the mice with BSO prior to lens culture. A single injection of BSO (4 nmol mg-1 lens), administered on day 7, resulted in >90% depletion of lens GSH within 3 days, but no visible cataractous changes. The clear lenses were incubated for 29+/-1 hr at 37 degrees C in Medium HL-1, supplemented with EGF, insulin and Ca2+, in the presence or absence of BSO, and were scored for cataract development by previously described criteria. In the absence of BSO, only 4 of 10 lenses developed large opacities. However, in the presence of 4 mm BSO, 40 out of 45 experimental lenses developed opacities affecting at least 50% of the lens visual field and were scored as stages 1C-4, depending upon the extent and density of the cataracts. In addition, three lenses had opacities involving 20-50% of the field (stage 1B). By contrast, less than 10% of lenses from untreated mice incubated in the absence of BSO developed opacities. The cataracts developed in 4 mm BSO were accompanied by reduction of lens glutathione levels to <0.010 nmol mg-1 lens. They were almost completely prevented by 1 mm ascorbate, 2 mm GSH, 2 mm GSH monoethyl ester and 2 mm cysteamine. GSH and GSH ester maintained lens glutathione content between 0.1 and 0.2 nmol mg-1 in the presence of BSO, whereas ascorbate did not prevent near-total GSH depletion. The prevention of cataracts by thiols and ascorbate was confirmed by lens Na/K ratios not significantly different from those in control lenses. The above combination of GSH depletion in vivo by a single injection of BSO, followed 3 days later with lens culture in the presence of BSO, may yield a useful system to elucidate and control the biochemical mechanisms involved in oxidative cataract induction by this GSH-depleting agent.

Developmental expression of platelet-derived growth factor alpha-receptor in neurons and glial cells of the mouse CNS

The synthesis of platelet-derived growth factor-alpha receptor (PDGF-alphaR) is commonly attributed to oligodendrocyte progenitors during late embryonic and postnatal development. However, we recently demonstrated that mature neurons could also synthesize PDGF-alphaR, emphasizing a larger role for this receptor than previously described. In the present study, to analyze the pattern of PDGF-alphaR expression during postnatal development of the mouse CNS, we used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on brain and spinal cord tissue sections. We found that, in addition to immature cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage, neurons of various CNS regions express PDGF-alphaR transcripts and protein as early as postnatal day 1 (P1). Whereas neuronal expression was maintained at all ages, the oligodendroglial expression strongly decreased after P21. In the adult, PDGF-alphaR was detected in very few oligodendrocyte progenitors scattered in the cerebral cortex or in white matter tracts, thus suggesting the presence of PDGF-alphaR on O-2Aadult progenitors. In the mature CNS, PDGF-alphaR transcripts and protein were mainly localized in neurons of numerous structures, such as the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem nuclei and in motor neurons of the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The differential expression of PDGF-alphaR in oligodendroglia and neurons argues in favor of several roles of PDGF during development.

Cellular and molecular features of lens differentiation: a review of recent advances

In this paper, the more recent literature pertaining to differentiation in the developing vertebrate lens is reviewed in relation to previous work. The literature reviewed reveals that the developing lens has been, and will continue to be, a useful model system for the examination of many fundamental processes occurring during embryonic development. Areas of lens development reviewed here include: the induction and early embryology of the lens; lens cell culture techniques; the role of growth factors and cytokines; the involvement of gap junctions in lens cell-cell communication; the role of cell adhesion molecules, integrins, and the extracellular matrix; the role of the cytoskeleton; the processes of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and lens fibre cell denucleation; the involvement of Pax and Homeobox genes; and crystallin gene regulation. Finally, some speculation is provided as to possible directions for further research in lens development.

Eye growth in the aphakic newborn rabbit

PURPOSE

To examine growth in unilaterally lensectomized newborn rabbits.

SETTING

S:t Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

METHODS

Unilateral lensectomy was performed in 18 randomly selected 23-day-old rabbits. Corneal incision was performed in 2 other rabbits, and the aqueous humor was replaced with balanced salt solution in one eye. Axial length, corneal diameter, corneal thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), and refraction were measured in all eyes preoperatively and 1, 2, and 3 months postoperatively. The wet mass of the after-cataract was measured 3 months after surgery.

RESULTS

The growth of the aphakic eye, as indicated by axial length and corneal diameter, was significantly less than that of the control eye in 14 rabbits. No significant difference in IOP or corneal thickness was found between the lensectomy and control eyes. Four animals had elevated IOP with secondary glaucoma and were excluded from the study. No difference in eye growth was found between the two eyes when no lensectomy was performed. Refraction in the unoperated eye showed a myopic shift. After lensectomy, the operated eye became hyperopic with a myopic shift 3 months after surgery. No correlation was found between eye growth and the wet mass of the after-cataract.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that removal of the rabbit crystalline lens at an early age reduces eye growth.

Lens epithelial cell mRNA. III. Elevated expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor mRNA in galactose cataracts

A lens epithelial (LE) cell cDNA clone, designated Clone 156, was isolated from a mature rat LE cDNA library by methods of subtractive hybridization. The cDNA sequence of Clone 156 was 521 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(T)-tail, and it encoded an open reading frame of 115 amino acids. The translated protein shared extensive sequence similarities with macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) from mouse lens and human T-cell lymphocytes. Northern blot hybridization showed that rat lens MIF mRNA is about 500 nucleotides in length and that its expression in mature rat lens is relatively low in comparison with that in other rat tissues. The expression of MIF mRNA in LE of normal rats and of rats treated by feeding a diet of 50% (w/w) galactose was studied by quantitative RT-PCR. The results showed that the expression of MIF mRNA in a 20-day galactosemic rat LE increased twelvefold as compared to that found in control LE. From the results of this study and from what we know about the locale of epithelial cell differentiation in mature rat lenses, it is being proposed that the increase in abundance of MIF mRNA in the cataractous rat lens is correlated with the enhanced proliferation of the undifferentiated epithelial cells.

Acridine orange differential staining of total DNA and RNA in normal and galactosemic lens epithelial cells in culture using flow cytometry

The lens epithelial cells are a primary site of involvement in galactosemia. Changes in their size, shape and proliferative capacity have been observed upon exposure to high galactose. In this report, changes in the cell cycle pattern of normal and galactosemic lens epithelial cells were examined by use of flow cytometry. Both changes in DNA and RNA were observed using the fluorochrome, acridine orange. Under the appropriate conditions acridine orange can be used to differentiate double-stranded DNA from single-stranded RNA. Using this approach, the DNA and RNA of normal and galactosemic (1, 4, or 7 days) lens epithelial cells can be compared. The results indicate that lens epithelial cells, when exposed to 40 mM galactose media or 30 mM glucose for 7 days, are induced to enter mitosis. Mannitol did not mimic these results. Changes in the cell cycle pattern were not observed when the cells were treated for 1 or 4 days. Although higher numbers of cells in mitosis were observed after 7 days exposure to 40 mM galactose, a correlation between proliferation, as measured by 3H-thymidine uptake, and mitosis was not possible. Apoptosis was evaluated as a possible explanation for these results. The changes in the DNA staining pattern could be use to monitor lens epithelial cells during galactosemia.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors in the developing mouse optic pathway

The molecules which control the patterns of cell division, growth, and precise interconnections characteristic of the central nervous system still remain largely unidentified. The protein platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown to mediate interactions among glial cells in vitro. More recent evidence has indicated that PDGF may also be involved in controlling communication between neurons and glial cells and among neurons. The presence of receptors for PDGF on neurons of the developing nervous system is an essential piece of evidence in this chain of events. Ganglion cells are labeled with antibodies to PDGF receptor only during the period of active process outgrowth. These findings suggest that PDGF is used as a mediator of intercellular signaling during neuronal development.

Temporal patterns of alpha 1-receptor stimulation regulate amplitude and frequency of calcium transients

The pulsatile release of neurotransmitters and many hormones might encode specific biological information according to temporal pattern. We tested this hypothesis by applying pulsed alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation to single aequorin-injected hepatocytes. The amplitude of free Ca2+ transients induced by rapid phenylephrine pulses (20-s interpulse interval) and continuous stimulation was similar (approximately 640 nM) but increased to approximately 1,000 nM as the interpulse interval was increased to 120 s. The same overall response was maintained despite a 13-fold reduction in average phenylephrine concentration. Some regimes of pulsed phenylephrine stimulation could give a higher frequency of pulsed phenylephrine stimulation could give a higher frequency of free calcium oscillations than continuous stimulation, or more rapid stimulation when some agonist pulses failed to elicit a free Ca2+ transient. For the same average phenylephrine concentration (0.3-0.6 microM), pulsed regimes could result in significantly higher frequencies and integrated responses than constant application. The lags between phenylephrine pulses and free Ca2+ transients reduced as the period between pulses increased. The amplitude and lag data are consistent with a refractory period of 18 s and a recovery phase with a time constant of approximately 100 s, perhaps corresponding to dephosphorylation of alpha 1-adrenoceptors phosphorylated by protein kinase C during each free Ca2+ transient.

Identification of receptor tyrosine kinases in the embryonic chicken lens

Protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in the control of growth and regulation of many eukaryotic cells. Members of the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) family of peptides function as growth factor receptors and oncoproteins. A common feature of members of the PTK family is a highly conserved intracellular catalytic domain. We analyzed the chicken lens epithelium, which responds to several known growth factors, for the presence of receptor PTK's. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) and degenerate primers made to conserved regions within kinase domains, we amplified RNA from embryonic day 6 (E6) lens epithelium and sequenced 135 cDNA clones. Sixteen distinct kinase sequences were obtained. Eight of these sequences represented kinase domains of known mammalian growth factor receptors, and six represented intercellular kinases. Two sequences appeared to code for new kinases. The amino acid identity of the chicken homologs ranged from 80-100% when compared to their mammalian counterparts.

Lens epithelial cell response to isoforms of platelet-derived growth factor

It has been reported previously that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) may play an important role in the regulation of lens growth and differentiation. To evaluate PDGF-induced effects at the cellular level, we investigated the response of cultured bovine lens epithelial cells (BLEC) to PDGF-AB, -AA, and -BB isoforms at the cellular level. Stimulation of BLEC with PDGF isoforms showed no increase in cell proliferation under the culture conditions of this study. In contrast, measurement of cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), which has been shown to be an important second messenger for controlling multiple cellular processes in the lens, revealed a dose-dependent rise in [Ca2+]i upon stimulation with PDGF-AB and -BB isoforms. PDGF-AA used in similar concentrations was not effective. Our data suggest that PDGF-AB and -BB may play a role in the regulation of cellular functions in BLEC via modulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis.

Regulation of lens cell growth and polarity by an embryo-specific growth factor and by inhibitors of lens cell proliferation and differentiation

We used a double-label method, which monitors the rate at which cells enter S-phase of the cell cycle, to identify factors that control the growth of chicken embryo lens epithelial cells in vivo. With this assay, we identified a mitogen for lens epithelial cells in the anterior segment of the embryonic eye. When the anterior chamber was opened briefly, by tearing the cornea or displacing the lens, the growth-promoting activity was lost. None of the purified growth factors tested replaced this growth activity, including EGF, bFGF, PDGF, IGF-1, IGF-2, TGF beta and mixtures of these factors. However, chicken embryo serum or plasma did cause chicken embryo lens epithelial cells to progress through the cell cycle. The activity in serum was destroyed by heat and protease treatment. It was most active in serum from 10-day embryos, decreased with subsequent development and was undetectable from 2 days after hatching through adulthood. When embryo serum or plasma was mixed with vitreous humor or IGF-1, agents that induce lens fiber cell formation, cell elongation was prevented. In contrast to the mitogenic activity in serum, this inhibitor of differentiation was insensitive to trypsin treatment. We also identified an activity in vitreous humor that inhibited the growth-promoting agent in embryo serum. Plasma proteins readily enter the anterior chamber of the eye of chicken embryos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An everted repeat mediates retinoic acid induction of the gamma F-crystallin gene: evidence of a direct role for retinoids in lens development

The vertebrate lens is a classical system for examining mechanisms of tissue determination and differentiation, yet little is known about the signaling molecules controlling its development. Here, we report that retinoic acid (RA), a substance known for its teratogenic effects on the eye and as a natural endogenous morphogenetic agent, acts as a regulator of gene expression in the lens. We have identified a novel type of RA response element (RARE) within the lens-specific mouse gamma F-crystallin promoter, consisting of two (A/G)GGTCA motifs in an everted arrangement spaced by 8 nucleotides. This element (gamma F-RARE) mediates activation of the gamma F-crystallin promoter by ligand-activated endogenous lens cell RA receptors (RARs) and confers RA responsiveness when linked to a heterologous promoter. gamma F-RARE is bound in vitro by RAR/RXR heterodimers, and both receptors cooperate in vivo to trans-activate this element. These observations demonstrate a direct effect of RA on lens-specific gene expression and reveal a novel role for retinoids in the development and homeostasis of the mammalian eye.

Cell cycle synchrony in the developing chicken lens epithelium

Synchronous oscillations of DNA synthesis and histone 2B mRNA expression occur during normal development of 13- to 16-day-old embryonic chicken lens epithelium. At least four cycles were observed with peak values of DNA synthesis and histone 2B mRNA 5 to 10 times greater than baseline values. Fourier analysis of DNA synthesis identified a statistically significant oscillatory period of 18 hr, the approximate length of the cell cycle at this age. Minor components of 7-9 and 12 hr were also identified in the data sets. Lenses labeled with 3H-thymidine and analyzed by autoradiography at 13.8 days of embryogenesis revealed more than twice the number of labeled nuclei at this time than in lenses labeled 9 hr later; histone 2B mRNA followed this same pattern. These findings demonstrate that a significant population of cells is synchronized with respect to the cell cycle in the developing lens epithelium in ovo. The temporal pattern of mitosis may be the basis of the fiber cell architecture and consequent lens transparency.

Calcium efflux in rat lens: Na/Ca-exchange related to cataract induced by selenite

Sodium gradient-dependent 45Ca2+ transport occurred across the lens membrane both in the direction of Ca2+ uptake by inside-out vesicles and Ca2+ efflux after Ca2+ loading of right-side-out vesicles. Using the calcium ionophore, A23187, greater than 90% of the Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ uptake was estimated to be free Ca2+. A normal Na+ gradient was also required to maintain calcium homeostasis in the intact lens. The Na+ gradient contributed to Ca2+ efflux from lenses pre-loaded in medium containing 15 mM CaCl2. Therefore, a Na/Ca-exchange functions to control Ca efflux in rat lens, in addition to the Ca-ATPase. In the preweanling rat mature nuclear cataracts occurred by 96 h after subcutaneous injection of sodium selenite (30 nmol/g animal wt). A 3-5 fold increase of Ca2+ accompanied cataract formation. The loss of Ca2+ homeostasis can be detected by 48 h after treatment selenite treatment. At this time the initial rate of Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ uptake was 30% lower in lens vesicles from selenite-treated rats compared to controls. No significant reduction of Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity was detected. Altered Na/Ca-exchange may contribute directly to the loss of Ca2+ homeostasis that leads to nuclear cataract.

Rise and fall of crystallin gene messenger levels during fibroblast growth factor induced terminal differentiation of lens cells

Explanted rat lens epithelial cells differentiate synchronously in vitro to lens fiber cells in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). We have monitored the expression of the three rat crystallin gene families, the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-crystallin genes, during this process. The expression of these gene families is sequentially activated, first the alpha-crystallin genes at Day 1, then the beta-crystallin genes at Day 3, and finally the gamma-crystallin genes at Day 8. The steady state levels of alpha- and beta-crystallin mRNA are not affected by incubation with actinomycin D, suggesting that these mRNAs are stable. Nevertheless, all crystallin mRNAs disappear from the differentiated explants between Days 10 and 11, a process signaled by bFGF. At this time a novel abundant mRNA appears. Cloning and sequencing showed that this mRNA encoded aldose reductase. Our results suggest a novel model for the regulation of crystallin synthesis during lens cell differentiation: a gene pulse delivers a certain amount of stable mRNA, this mRNA is removed at a later stage of differentiation by a stage-specific breakdown mechanism. Each of these regulatory steps requires a signal from bFGF.

Classification of dynamical diseases by new mathematical tools: application of multi-dimensional phase space analyses to the pulsatile secretion of parathyroid hormone

The biological importance of dynamic hormonal secretion has been demonstrated. There is good evidence from recent studies that parathyroid hormone (PTH) which plays an important role in bone physiology is secreted in a pulsatile manner. In this study we performed a classification of two 'dynamical diseases' namely osteoporosis and hyperparathyroidism by the visualization of dynamic PTH-secretion in multidimensional phase spaces.