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Stone RA, Tobias JW, Wei W, Carlstedt X, Zhang L, Iuvone PM, Nickla DL. Diurnal gene expression patterns in retina and choroid distinguish myopia progression from myopia onset. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307091. [PMID: 39028695 PMCID: PMC11259283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The world-wide prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) is increasing, but its pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Among many putative mechanisms, laboratory and clinical findings have implicated circadian biology in the etiology of myopia. Consistent with a circadian hypothesis, we recently reported a marked variability in diurnal patterns of gene expression in two crucial tissues controlling post-natal refractive development - the retina and choroid-at the onset of form-deprivation myopia in chick, a widely studied and validated model. To extend these observations, we assayed gene expression by RNA-Seq in retina and choroid during the progression of established unilateral form-deprivation myopia of chick. We assayed gene expression every 4 hours during a single day from myopic and contralateral control eyes. Retinal and choroidal gene expression in myopic vs. control eyes during myopia progression differed strikingly at discrete times during the day. Very few differentially expressed genes occurred at more than one time in either tissue during progressing myopia. Similarly, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis pathways varied markedly by time during the day. Some of the differentially expressed genes in progressing myopia coincided with candidate genes for human myopia, but only partially corresponded with genes previously identified at myopia onset. Considering other laboratory findings and human genetics and epidemiology, these results further link circadian biology to the pathogenesis of myopia; but they also point to important mechanistic differences between the onset of myopia and the progression of established myopia. Future laboratory and clinical investigations should systematically incorporate circadian mechanisms in studying the etiology of myopia and in seeking more effective treatments to normalize eye growth in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - John W. Tobias
- Penn Genomics and Sequencing Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Wenjie Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xia Carlstedt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - P. Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology & Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Debora L. Nickla
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Stone RA, Tobias JW, Wei W, Schug J, Wang X, Zhang L, Iuvone PM, Nickla DL. Diurnal retinal and choroidal gene expression patterns support a role for circadian biology in myopia pathogenesis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:533. [PMID: 38177383 PMCID: PMC10767138 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50684-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) is increasing to alarming levels, but its etiology remains poorly understood. Because both laboratory and clinical findings suggest an etiologic role for circadian rhythms in myopia development, we assayed gene expression by RNA-Seq in retina and choroid at the onset of unilateral experimental myopia in chick, isolating tissues every 4 h during a single 24-h period from myopic and contralateral control eyes. Occluded versus open eye gene expression differences varied considerably over the 24-h sampling period, with some occurring at multiple times of day but with others showing differences at only a single investigated timepoint. Some of the genes identified in retina or choroid of chick myopia were previously identified as candidate genes for common human myopia. Like differentially expressed genes, pathways identified by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis also varied dramatically by sampling time. Considered with other laboratory data, human genetic and epidemiology data, these findings further implicate circadian events in myopia pathogenesis. The present results emphasize a need to include time of day in mechanistic studies of myopia and to assess circadian biology directly in trying to understand better the origin of myopia and to develop more effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - John W Tobias
- Penn Genomics and Sequencing Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wenjie Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonathan Schug
- Penn Genomics and Sequencing Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Debora L Nickla
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA
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Zeitz C, Roger JE, Audo I, Michiels C, Sánchez-Farías N, Varin J, Frederiksen H, Wilmet B, Callebert J, Gimenez ML, Bouzidi N, Blond F, Guilllonneau X, Fouquet S, Léveillard T, Smirnov V, Vincent A, Héon E, Sahel JA, Kloeckener-Gruissem B, Sennlaub F, Morgans CW, Duvoisin RM, Tkatchenko AV, Picaud S. Shedding light on myopia by studying complete congenital stationary night blindness. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 93:101155. [PMID: 36669906 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Myopia is the most common eye disorder, caused by heterogeneous genetic and environmental factors. Rare progressive and stationary inherited retinal disorders are often associated with high myopia. Genes implicated in myopia encode proteins involved in a variety of biological processes including eye morphogenesis, extracellular matrix organization, visual perception, circadian rhythms, and retinal signaling. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in animal models mimicking myopia are helpful in suggesting candidate genes implicated in human myopia. Complete congenital stationary night blindness (cCSNB) in humans and animal models represents an ON-bipolar cell signal transmission defect and is also associated with high myopia. Thus, it represents also an interesting model to identify myopia-related genes, as well as disease mechanisms. While the origin of night blindness is molecularly well established, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of myopia development in subjects with cCSNB. Using whole transcriptome analysis on three different mouse models of cCSNB (in Gpr179-/-, Lrit3-/- and Grm6-/-), we identified novel actors of the retinal signaling cascade, which are also novel candidate genes for myopia. Meta-analysis of our transcriptomic data with published transcriptomic databases and genome-wide association studies from myopia cases led us to propose new biological/cellular processes/mechanisms potentially at the origin of myopia in cCSNB subjects. The results provide a foundation to guide the development of pharmacological myopia therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Zeitz
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France.
| | - Jérome E Roger
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CERTO-Retina France, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Juliette Varin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Helen Frederiksen
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Wilmet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Callebert
- Service of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, INSERM U942, Hospital Lariboisière, APHP, Paris, France
| | | | - Nassima Bouzidi
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Blond
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Stéphane Fouquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Vasily Smirnov
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Ajoy Vincent
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elise Héon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France; Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Florian Sennlaub
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Catherine W Morgans
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Robert M Duvoisin
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serge Picaud
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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Musolf AM, Haarman AEG, Luben RN, Ong JS, Patasova K, Trapero RH, Marsh J, Jain I, Jain R, Wang PZ, Lewis DD, Tedja MS, Iglesias AI, Li H, Cowan CS, Biino G, Klein AP, Duggal P, Mackey DA, Hayward C, Haller T, Metspalu A, Wedenoja J, Pärssinen O, Cheng CY, Saw SM, Stambolian D, Hysi PG, Khawaja AP, Vitart V, Hammond CJ, van Duijn CM, Verhoeven VJM, Klaver CCW, Bailey-Wilson JE. Rare variant analyses across multiethnic cohorts identify novel genes for refractive error. Commun Biol 2023; 6:6. [PMID: 36596879 PMCID: PMC9810640 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Refractive error, measured here as mean spherical equivalent (SER), is a complex eye condition caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Individuals with strong positive or negative values of SER require spectacles or other approaches for vision correction. Common genetic risk factors have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), but a great part of the refractive error heritability is still missing. Some of this heritability may be explained by rare variants (minor allele frequency [MAF] ≤ 0.01.). We performed multiple gene-based association tests of mean Spherical Equivalent with rare variants in exome array data from the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM). The dataset consisted of over 27,000 total subjects from five cohorts of Indo-European and Eastern Asian ethnicity. We identified 129 unique genes associated with refractive error, many of which were replicated in multiple cohorts. Our best novel candidates included the retina expressed PDCD6IP, the circadian rhythm gene PER3, and P4HTM, which affects eye morphology. Future work will include functional studies and validation. Identification of genes contributing to refractive error and future understanding of their function may lead to better treatment and prevention of refractive errors, which themselves are important risk factors for various blinding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Musolf
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Annechien E G Haarman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert N Luben
- MRC Epidemiology, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Jue-Sheng Ong
- Statistical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Karina Patasova
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rolando Hernandez Trapero
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joseph Marsh
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ishika Jain
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Riya Jain
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paul Zhiping Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Deyana D Lewis
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Milly S Tedja
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adriana I Iglesias
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hengtong Li
- Data Science Unit, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cameron S Cowan
- Institute for Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ginevra Biino
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council of Italy, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alison P Klein
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Priya Duggal
- The Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David A Mackey
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Lions Eye Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Caroline Hayward
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Toomas Haller
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andres Metspalu
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Juho Wedenoja
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olavi Pärssinen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Central Hospital of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ching-Yu Cheng
- Centre for Quantitative Medicine, DUKE-National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Ocular Epidemiology Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seang-Mei Saw
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University Health Systems, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Myopia Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dwight Stambolian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pirro G Hysi
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- MRC Epidemiology, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Veronique Vitart
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher J Hammond
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Virginie J M Verhoeven
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Institute for Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Joan E Bailey-Wilson
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Chakraborty R, Collins MJ, Kricancic H, Davis B, Alonso-Caneiro D, Yi F, Baskaran K. The effect of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) stimulation on axial length changes to imposed optical defocus in young adults. JOURNAL OF OPTOMETRY 2023; 16:53-63. [PMID: 35589503 PMCID: PMC9811374 DOI: 10.1016/j.optom.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) regulate pupil size and circadian rhythms. Stimulation of the ipRGCs using short-wavelength blue light causes a sustained pupil constriction known as the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR). Here we examined the effects of ipRGC stimulation on axial length changes to imposed optical defocus in young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nearly emmetropic young participants were given either myopic (+3 D, n = 16) or hyperopic (-3 D, n = 17) defocus in their right eye for 2 h. Before and after defocus, a series of axial length measurements for up to 180 s were performed in the right eye using the IOL Master following exposure to 5 s red (625 nm, 3.74 × 1014 photons/cm2/s) and blue (470 nm, 3.29 × 1014 photons/cm2/s) stimuli. The pupil measurements were collected from the left eye to track the ipRGC activity. The 6 s and 30 s PIPR, early and late area under the curve (AUC), and time to return to baseline were calculated. RESULTS The PIPR with blue light was significantly stronger after 2 h of hyperopic defocus as indicated by a lower 6 and 30 s PIPR and a larger early and late AUC (all p<0.05). Short-wavelength ipRGC stimulation also significantly exaggerated the ocular response to hyperopic defocus, causing a significantly greater increase in axial length than that resulting from the hyperopic defocus alone (p = 0.017). Neither wavelength had any effect on axial length with myopic defocus. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest an interaction between myopiagenic hyperopic defocus and ipRGC signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjay Chakraborty
- Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia; College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Optometry and Vision Science, Sturt North, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
| | - Michael J Collins
- Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Henry Kricancic
- Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Brett Davis
- Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David Alonso-Caneiro
- Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Fan Yi
- Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Huang Y, Chen X, Zhuang J, Yu K. The Role of Retinal Dysfunction in Myopia Development. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2022:10.1007/s10571-022-01309-1. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01309-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Retinal Gene Expression of Selective Genes and Histological Stages of Embryonic and Post-Hatch Chickens (Gallus gallus). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13112048. [DOI: 10.3390/genes13112048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chickens are excellent models for the study of retinal development and function. Gene expression at the correct time is crucial to retinal development and function. The present study aimed to investigate retinal gene expression and morphology in locally grown chickens at various developmental stages. RNA was extracted from the retina at the embryonic and post-hatch stages, and the retinal layers were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). RT-PCR and RT-qPCR were used for gene expression analysis of 14 selected genes. The results showed that all the retinal genes were expressed at different developmental stages. However, there were slight noticeable variations in expression patterns. At the morphological level, all retinal layers were well observed, except for the outer plexiform layer that became visible in the fifteen-day chick embryo. The current study provides a baseline for standard retinal gene expression of 14 genes and retinal histological staining. The selected genes have different roles in retinal development and function, and most of these genes are associated with retinal diseases. The results obtained here can be applied to molecular retinal research and retinal diseases with genetic factors in retina animal models or human diseases.
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Zhou G, Lan C, Yang Q, Zhong W, Gu Z, Xiang X, Mao Y, Liao X. Expression of SCO1 and SCO2 after form-deprivation myopia in Guinea pigs. Eur J Ophthalmol 2022; 32:3050-3057. [PMID: 34962434 DOI: 10.1177/11206721211070305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The retina is a highly energy-consuming tissue associated with visual development, and the reduced quality of retinal imaging can be related to myopia. Synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (SCO1) and synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 2 (SCO2) are involved in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthesis and energy metabolism. This study aimed to observe the morphologic changes and investigate the expression of SCO1 and SCO2 induced by form-deprivation myopia (FDM) in the retina and sclera of guinea pigs. METHODS Thirty-six 3-week-old male guinea pigs were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) the model group (n = 18), in which the right eyes were covered by a thin opaque balloon as FDM group, and the left eyes were uncovered and served as the contralateral control group; (2) the blank control group (n = 18), in which bilateral eye received no manipulation. Eyeballs were enucleated for histological analysis. The retina and sclera of the guinea pigs were separated to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of SCO1 and SCO2, respectively. RESULTS After four weeks of form deprivation (FD), the refractive degree and axial length increased significantly (P < 0.001). The retinal and scleral tissues were moderately thinner, and the ganglion cells and the cells of inner and outer nuclear layers in the retina became fewer. Compared with the contralateral control group (P < 0.001) and the blank control group (P < 0.001), the collagen content of the sclera became less in the FDM group. The protein and mRNA expression levels of SCO1 and SCO2 in the FDM group were significantly lower than those in the contralateral control group and the blank control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The morphologies of the retina and sclera were changed, and the expression of SCO1 and SCO2 at the protein and transcription levels was significantly reduced in the FDM group. Given these changes, SCO1 and SCO2 genes may be involved in myopic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimei Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Innovative Platform for Basic Medicine, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Changjun Lan
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Qin Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Weiqi Zhong
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Zhiming Gu
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Xiaoling Xiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yumei Mao
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Xuan Liao
- Department of Ophthalmology, 117913Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, 74655North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
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Ji S, Ye L, Zhang L, Xu D, Dai J. Retinal neurodegeneration in a mouse model of green-light-induced myopia. Exp Eye Res 2022; 223:109208. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Wen Y, Dai B, Zhang X, Zhu H, Xie C, Xia J, Sun Y, Zhu M, Tong J, Shen Y. Retinal Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals the Underlying Mechanism of Disturbed Emmetropization Induced by Wavelength Defocus. Curr Eye Res 2022; 47:908-917. [PMID: 35225751 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2022.2048395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Wavelength signals play a vital role in refractive development. This study aimed to explore the retinal transcriptome signature in these processes. METHODS Guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups exposed to white, blue, or green environmental light for eight weeks. Refraction and axial length were evaluated every 4 weeks, and the retinal transcriptome was profiled at 8 weeks. RESULTS Compared with the white group, ocular refraction significantly decreased and ocular axial length significantly extended in the green group whereas these parameters showed opposite trends in the blue group. RNA-sequencing showed that, compared with the white group, 184 and 171 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the blue and green groups, respectively. Among these DEGs, only 31 overlapped. These two sets of DEGs were enriched in distinct biological processes and pathways. There were 268 DEGs between the blue and green groups, which were primarily enriched in the extracellular matrix, and metabolism, receptor activity, and ion binding processes. In addition, nine human genes, including ECEL1, CHRND, SHBG, PRSS56, OVOL1, RDH5, WNT7B, PEBP4, CA12, were identified to be related to myopia development and wavelength response, indicating the potential role of these genes in human wavelength-induced myopia. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we identified retinal targets and pathways involved in the response to wavelength signals in emmetropization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Binbin Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taizhou Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuhong Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chen Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianhua Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuan Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianping Tong
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ye Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Clinical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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11
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Chakraborty R, Landis EG, Mazade R, Yang V, Strickland R, Hattar S, Stone RA, Iuvone PM, Pardue MT. Melanopsin modulates refractive development and myopia. Exp Eye Res 2022; 214:108866. [PMID: 34838844 PMCID: PMC8792255 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the most common form of refractive abnormality and is characterized by excessive ocular elongation in relation to ocular power. Retinal neurotransmitter signaling, including dopamine, is implicated in myopic ocular growth, but the visual pathways that initiate and sustain myopia remain unclear. Melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs), which detect light, are important for visual function, and have connections with retinal dopamine cells. Here, we investigated how mRGCs influence normal and myopic refractive development using two mutant mouse models: Opn4-/- mice that lack functional melanopsin photopigments and intrinsic mRGC responses but still receive other photoreceptor-mediated input to these cells; and Opn4DTA/DTA mice that lack intrinsic and photoreceptor-mediated mRGC responses due to mRGC cell death. In mice with intact vision or form-deprivation, we measured refractive error, ocular properties including axial length and corneal curvature, and the levels of retinal dopamine and its primary metabolite, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPAC). Myopia was measured as a myopic shift, or the difference in refractive error between the form-deprived and contralateral eyes. We found that Opn4-/- mice had altered normal refractive development compared to Opn4+/+ wildtype mice, starting ∼4D more myopic but developing ∼2D greater hyperopia by 16 weeks of age. Consistent with hyperopia at older ages, 16 week-old Opn4-/- mice also had shorter eyes compared to Opn4+/+ mice (3.34 vs 3.42 mm). Opn4DTA/DTA mice, however, were more hyperopic than both Opn4+/+ and Opn4-/- mice across development ending with even shorter axial lengths. Despite these differences, both Opn4-/- and Opn4DTA/DTA mice had ∼2D greater myopic shifts in response to form-deprivation compared to Opn4+/+ mice. Furthermore, when vision was intact, dopamine and DOPAC levels were similar between Opn4-/- and Opn4+/+ mice, but higher in Opn4DTA/DTA mice, which differed with age. However, form-deprivation reduced retinal dopamine and DOAPC by ∼20% in Opn4-/- compared to Opn4+/+ mice but did not affect retinal dopamine and DOPAC in Opn4DTA/DTA mice. Lastly, systemically treating Opn4-/- mice with the dopamine precursor L-DOPA reduced their form-deprivation myopia by half compared to non-treated mice. Collectively our findings show that disruption of retinal melanopsin signaling alters the rate and magnitude of normal refractive development, yields greater susceptibility to form-deprivation myopia, and changes dopamine signaling. Our results suggest that mRGCs participate in the eye's response to myopigenic stimuli, acting partly through dopaminergic mechanisms, and provide a potential therapeutic target underling myopia progression. We conclude that proper mRGC function is necessary for correct refractive development and protection from myopia progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjay Chakraborty
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365B Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Optometry and Vision Science, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5001, Adelaide, Australia,Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Erica G. Landis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365B Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,Neuroscience Program, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Reece Mazade
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
| | - Victoria Yang
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
| | - Ryan Strickland
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,Neuroscience Program, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Samer Hattar
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms, NIMH, NIH, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20892
| | - Richard A. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - P. Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365B Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States,Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365B Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Machelle T. Pardue
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30033, United States,Neuroscience Program, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Dr, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
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12
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Thomson K, Game J, Karouta C, Morgan IG, Ashby R. Correlation between small-scale methylation changes and gene expression during the development of myopia. FASEB J 2021; 36:e22129. [PMID: 34958689 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101487r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Visually induced changes in the expression of early growth response-1 (EGR1), FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene (FOS), and NGFI-A binding protein-2 (NAB2) appear to form a part of a retinal network fundamental to ocular growth regulation, and thus, the development of myopia (short-sightedness). However, it is unclear how environmental (visual) cues are translated into these molecular changes. One possibility is through epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, a known regulator of such processes. By sequencing bisulfite-converted DNA amplicons, this study examined whether changes in DNA methylation occur within specific regulatory and promoter regions of EGR1, FOS, and NAB2 during the periods of increased and decreased ocular growth in chicks. Visually induced changes in ocular growth rates were associated with single-point, but not large-scale, shifts in methylation levels within the investigated regions. Analysis of methylation pattern variability (entropy) demonstrated that the observed methylation changes are occurring within small subpopulations of retinal cells. This concurs with previous observations that EGR1 and FOS are differentially regulated at the peptide level within specific retinal cell types. Together, the findings of this study support a potential role for DNA methylation in the translation of external visual cues into molecular changes critical for ocular growth regulation and myopia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Thomson
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jeremy Game
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Cindy Karouta
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ian G Morgan
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Regan Ashby
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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13
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Karouta C, Kucharski R, Hardy K, Thomson K, Maleszka R, Morgan I, Ashby R. Transcriptome-based insights into gene networks controlling myopia prevention. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21846. [PMID: 34405458 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100350rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Myopia (short-sightedness), usually caused by excessive elongation of the eye during development, has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. In animal systems including the chicken model, several treatments have been shown to inhibit ocular elongation and experimental myopia. Although diverse in their apparent mechanism of action, each one leads to a reduction in the rate of ocular growth. We hypothesize that a defined set of retinal molecular changes may underlie growth inhibition, irrespective of the treatment agent used. Accordingly, across five well-established but diverse methods of inhibiting myopia, significant overlap is seen in the retinal transcriptome profile (transcript levels and alternative splicing events) in chicks when analyzed by RNA-seq. Within the two major pathway networks enriched during growth inhibition, that of cell signaling and circadian entrainment, transcription factors form the largest functional grouping. Importantly, a large percentage of those genes forming the defined retinal response are downstream targets of the transcription factor EGR1 which itself shows a universal response to all five growth-inhibitory treatments. This supports EGR1's previously implicated role in ocular growth regulation. Finally, by contrasting our data with human linkage and GWAS studies on refractive error, we confirm the applicability of our study to the human condition. Together, these findings suggest that a universal set of transcriptome changes, which sit within a well-defined retinal network that cannot be bypassed, is fundamental to growth regulation, thus paving a way for designing novel targets for myopia therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Karouta
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Robert Kucharski
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kristine Hardy
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kate Thomson
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ryszard Maleszka
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ian Morgan
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Regan Ashby
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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14
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Differential gene expression of the healthy conjunctiva during the day. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 2021; 45:101494. [PMID: 34315655 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2021.101494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine if there is diurnal variation in gene expression in normal healthy conjunctival cells. METHODS Bulbar conjunctival swab samples were collected from four healthy subjects in the morning and evening of the same day. The two swab samples were taken from one eye of each participant, with a minimum of five hours gap between the two samples. RNA was extracted and analysed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). RESULTS A total of 121 genes were differentially expressed between the morning and the evening conjunctival samples, of which 94 genes were upregulated in the morning, and 27 genes were upregulated in the evening. Many of the genes that were upregulated in the morning were involved in defence, cell turnover and regulation of gene expression, while the genes upregulated in the evening were involved in signalling and mucin production. CONCLUSIONS This study has identified several genes whose expression changes over the course of the day. Knowledge of diurnal variations of conjunctival gene expression provides an insight into the regulatory status of the healthy eye and provides a baseline for examining changes during ocular surface disease.
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15
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Summers JA, Schaeffel F, Marcos S, Wu H, Tkatchenko AV. Functional integration of eye tissues and refractive eye development: Mechanisms and pathways. Exp Eye Res 2021; 209:108693. [PMID: 34228967 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Refractive eye development is a tightly coordinated developmental process. The general layout of the eye and its various components are established during embryonic development, which involves a complex cross-tissue signaling. The eye then undergoes a refinement process during the postnatal emmetropization process, which relies heavily on the integration of environmental and genetic factors and is controlled by an elaborate genetic network. This genetic network encodes a multilayered signaling cascade, which converts visual stimuli into molecular signals that guide the postnatal growth of the eye. The signaling cascade underlying refractive eye development spans across all ocular tissues and comprises multiple signaling pathways. Notably, tissue-tissue interaction plays a key role in both embryonic eye development and postnatal eye emmetropization. Recent advances in eye biometry, physiological optics and systems genetics of refractive error have significantly advanced our understanding of the biological processes involved in refractive eye development and provided a framework for the development of new treatment options for myopia. In this review, we summarize the recent data on the mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying refractive eye development and discuss new evidence suggesting a wide-spread signal integration across different tissues and ocular components involved in visually guided eye growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody A Summers
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Frank Schaeffel
- Section of Neurobiology of the Eye, Ophthalmic Research Institute, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Myopia Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Susana Marcos
- Instituto de Óptica "Daza de Valdés", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA.
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16
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Tkatchenko TV, Tkatchenko AV. Genetic network regulating visual acuity makes limited contribution to visually guided eye emmetropization. Genomics 2021; 113:2780-2792. [PMID: 34147636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During postnatal development, the eye undergoes a refinement process whereby optical defocus guides eye growth towards sharp vision in a process of emmetropization. Optical defocus activates a signaling cascade originating in the retina and propagating across the back of the eye to the sclera. Several observations suggest that visual acuity might be important for optical defocus detection and processing in the retina; however, direct experimental evidence supporting or refuting the role of visual acuity in refractive eye development is lacking. Here, we used genome-wide transcriptomics to determine the relative contribution of the retinal genetic network regulating visual acuity to the signaling cascade underlying visually guided eye emmetropization. Our results provide evidence that visual acuity is regulated at the level of molecular signaling in the retina by an extensive genetic network. The genetic network regulating visual acuity makes relatively small contribution to the signaling cascade underlying refractive eye development. This genetic network primarily affects baseline refractive eye development and this influence is primarily facilitated by the biological processes related to melatonin signaling, nitric oxide signaling, phototransduction, synaptic transmission, and dopamine signaling. We also observed that the visual-acuity-related genes associated with the development of human myopia are chiefly involved in light perception and phototransduction. Our results suggest that the visual-acuity-related genetic network primarily contributes to the signaling underlying baseline refractive eye development, whereas its impact on visually guided eye emmetropization is modest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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17
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Tkatchenko TV, Tkatchenko AV. Genome-wide analysis of retinal transcriptome reveals common genetic network underlying perception of contrast and optical defocus detection. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:153. [PMID: 34107987 PMCID: PMC8190860 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-01005-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Refractive eye development is regulated by optical defocus in a process of emmetropization. Excessive exposure to negative optical defocus often leads to the development of myopia. However, it is still largely unknown how optical defocus is detected by the retina. METHODS Here, we used genome-wide RNA-sequencing to conduct analysis of the retinal gene expression network underlying contrast perception and refractive eye development. RESULTS We report that the genetic network subserving contrast perception plays an important role in optical defocus detection and emmetropization. Our results demonstrate an interaction between contrast perception, the retinal circadian clock pathway and the signaling pathway underlying optical defocus detection. We also observe that the relative majority of genes causing human myopia are involved in the processing of optical defocus. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results support the hypothesis that optical defocus is perceived by the retina using contrast as a proxy and provide new insights into molecular signaling underlying refractive eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Research Annex Room 415, 635 W. 165th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
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18
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Riddell N, Murphy MJ, Crewther SG. Electroretinography and Gene Expression Measures Implicate Phototransduction and Metabolic Shifts in Chick Myopia and Hyperopia Models. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11060501. [PMID: 34072440 PMCID: PMC8228081 DOI: 10.3390/life11060501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Retinal Ion-Driven Fluid Efflux (RIDE) model theorizes that phototransduction-driven changes in trans-retinal ion and fluid transport underlie the development of myopia (short-sightedness). In support of this model, previous functional studies have identified the attenuation of outer retinal contributions to the global flash electroretinogram (gfERG) following weeks of myopia induction in chicks, while discovery-driven transcriptome studies have identified changes to the expression of ATP-driven ion transport and mitochondrial metabolism genes in the retina/RPE/choroid at the mid- to late-induction time-points. Less is known about the early time-points despite biometric analyses demonstrating changes in eye growth by 3 h in the chick lens defocus model. Thus, the present study compared gfERG and transcriptome profiles between 3 h and 3 days of negative lens-induced myopia and positive lens-induced hyperopia in chicks. Photoreceptor (a-wave and d-wave) and bipolar (b-wave and late-stage d-wave) cell responses were suppressed following negative lens-wear, particularly at the 3–4 h and 3-day time-points when active shifts in the rate of ocular growth were expected. Transcriptome measures revealed the up-regulation of oxidative phosphorylation genes following 6 h of negative lens-wear, concordant with previous reports at 2 days in this model. Signal transduction pathways, with core genes involved in glutamate and G-protein coupled receptor signalling, were down-regulated at 6 h. These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence for the dysregulation of phototransduction and mitochondrial metabolism in animal models of myopia.
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19
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Zhang XD, Wang CX, Jiang HH, Jing SL, Zhao JY, Yu ZY. Trends in research related to high myopia from 2010 to 2019: a bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis. Int J Ophthalmol 2021; 14:589-599. [PMID: 33875953 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2021.04.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the global trends in and explore hotspots of high myopia (HM) research. METHODS This bibliometric analysis was used to reveal the publication trends in HM research field based on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). VOSviewer version 1.6.13 software was used to analyze the data and construct a knowledge map including the yearly publication number, journals, countries, international collaborations, authors, research hotspots, and intellectual base in HM. RESULTS The search engine found 3544 peer-reviewed publications on HM between 2010 and 2019, and the yearly research output substantially elevated over the past decade. China is the top publishing country, and Sun Yat-sen University was the most active academic institution. Jonas JB is the top publishing scientist, and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS) was the most productive journal. The highest cited references mainly focused on epidemiology and management. The keywords formed 6 clusters: 1) refractive surgery; 2) etiology and clinical characteristics; 3) the mechanism of eye growth; 4) management for myopic maculopathy; 5) vitrectomy surgical treatment; 6) myopia-associated glaucoma-like optic neuropathy. CONCLUSION The evaluation of development trends based on the data extracted from WoSCC can provide valuable information and guidance for ophthalmologists and public health researchers to improve management procedures in HM field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dan Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Eye Hospital of China Medical University; Key Lens Research Laboratory of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110005, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Chun-Xia Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Eye Hospital of China Medical University; Key Lens Research Laboratory of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110005, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Hong-Hu Jiang
- China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Shuo-Lan Jing
- China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiang-Yue Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Eye Hospital of China Medical University; Key Lens Research Laboratory of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110005, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zi-Yan Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Eye Hospital of China Medical University; Key Lens Research Laboratory of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110005, Liaoning Province, China
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20
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RNA-seq and GSEA identifies suppression of ligand-gated chloride efflux channels as the major gene pathway contributing to form deprivation myopia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5280. [PMID: 33674625 PMCID: PMC7935918 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84338-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently there is no consensus regarding the aetiology of the excessive ocular volume that characterizes high myopia. Thus, we aimed to test whether the gene pathways identified by gene set enrichment analysis of RNA-seq transcriptomics refutes the predictions of the Retinal Ion Driven Efflux (RIDE) hypothesis when applied to the induction of form-deprivation myopia (FDM) and subsequent recovery (post-occluder removal). We found that the induction of profound FDM led to significant suppression in the ligand-gated chloride ion channel transport pathway via suppression of glycine, GABAA and GABAC ionotropic receptors. Post-occluder removal for short term recovery from FDM of 6 h and 24 h, induced significant upregulation of the gene families linked to cone receptor phototransduction, mitochondrial energy, and complement pathways. These findings support a model of form deprivation myopia as a Cl− ion driven adaptive fluid response to the modulation of the visual signal cascade by form deprivation that in turn affects the resultant ionic environment of the outer and inner retinal tissues, axial and vitreal elongation as predicted by the RIDE model. Occluder removal and return to normal light conditions led to return to more normal upregulation of phototransduction, slowed growth rate, refractive recovery and apparent return towards physiological homeostasis.
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21
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Influence of Circadian Rhythm in the Eye: Significance of Melatonin in Glaucoma. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030340. [PMID: 33668357 PMCID: PMC7996162 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythm and the molecules involved in it, such as melanopsin and melatonin, play an important role in the eye to regulate the homeostasis and even to treat some ocular conditions. As a result, many ocular pathologies like dry eye, corneal wound healing, cataracts, myopia, retinal diseases, and glaucoma are affected by this cycle. This review will summarize the current scientific literature about the influence of circadian patterns on the eye, focusing on its relationship with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations and glaucoma. Regarding treatments, two ways should be studied: the first one, to analyze if some treatments could improve their effect on the ocular disease when their posology is established in function of circadian patterns, and the second one, to evaluate new drugs to treat eye pathologies related to the circadian rhythm, as it has been stated with melatonin or its analogs, that not only could be used as the main treatment but as coadjutant, improving the circadian pattern or its antioxidant and antiangiogenic properties.
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22
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Landis EG, Park HN, Chrenek M, He L, Sidhu C, Chakraborty R, Strickland R, Iuvone PM, Pardue MT. Ambient Light Regulates Retinal Dopamine Signaling and Myopia Susceptibility. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:28. [PMID: 33502461 PMCID: PMC7846952 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.1.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Exposure to high-intensity or outdoor lighting has been shown to decrease the severity of myopia in both human epidemiological studies and animal models. Currently, it is not fully understood how light interacts with visual signaling to impact myopia. Previous work performed in the mouse retina has demonstrated that functional rod photoreceptors are needed to develop experimentally-induced myopia, alluding to an essential role for rod signaling in refractive development. Methods To determine whether dim rod-dominated illuminance levels influence myopia susceptibility, we housed male C57BL/6J mice under 12:12 light/dark cycles with scotopic (1.6 × 10−3 candela/m2), mesopic (1.6 × 101 cd/m2), or photopic (4.7 × 103 cd/m2) lighting from post-natal day 23 (P23) to P38. Half the mice received monocular exposure to −10 diopter (D) lens defocus from P28–38. Molecular assays to measure expression and content of DA-related genes and protein were conducted to determine how illuminance and lens defocus alter dopamine (DA) synthesis, storage, uptake, and degradation and affect myopia susceptibility in mice. Results We found that mice exposed to either scotopic or photopic lighting developed significantly less severe myopic refractive shifts (lens treated eye minus contralateral eye; –1.62 ± 0.37D and −1.74 ± 0.44D, respectively) than mice exposed to mesopic lighting (–3.61 ± 0.50D; P < 0.005). The 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid /DA ratio, indicating DA activity, was highest under photopic light regardless of lens defocus treatment (controls: 0.09 ± 0.011 pg/mg, lens defocus: 0.08 ± 0.008 pg/mg). Conclusions Lens defocus interacted with ambient conditions to differentially alter myopia susceptibility and DA-related genes and proteins. Collectively, these results show that scotopic and photopic lighting protect against lens-induced myopia, potentially indicating that a broad range of light levels are important in refractive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica G Landis
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Han Na Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Micah Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Li He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Curran Sidhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Ranjay Chakraborty
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Ryan Strickland
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Department of Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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23
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Nickla DL, Sarfare S, McGeehan B, Wei W, Elin-Calcador J, He L, Dhakal S, Dixon J, Maguire MG, Stone RA, Iuvone PM. Visual conditions affecting eye growth alter diurnal levels of vitreous DOPAC. Exp Eye Res 2020; 200:108226. [PMID: 32905843 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In chicks, the diurnal patterns of retinal dopamine synthesis and release are associated with refractive development. To assess the within-day patterns of dopamine release, we assayed vitreal levels of DOPAC (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, at 4-h intervals over 24 h in eyes with experimental manipulations that change ocular growth rates. Chicks were reared under a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle; experiments began at 12 days of age. Output was assessed by modelling using the robust variance structure of Generalized Estimating Equations. Continuous spectacle lensdefocus or form deprivation: One group experienced non-restricted visual input to both eyes and served as untreated "normal" controls. Three experimental cohorts underwent monocular visual alterations known to alter eye growth and refraction: wearing a diffuser, a negative lens or a positive lens. After one full day of device-wear, chicks were euthanized at 4-h intervals over 24 h (8 birds per time/condition). Brief hyperopic defocus: Chicks wore negative lenses for only 2 daily hours either in the morning (starting at ZT 0; n = 16) or mid-day (starting at ZT 4; n = 8) for 3 days. Vitreal DOPAC was assayed. In chicks with bilateral non-restricted vision, or with continuous defocus or form-deprivation, there was a diurnal variation in vitreal DOPAC levels for all eyes (p < 0.001 for each). In normal controls, DOPAC was highest during the daytime, lowest at night, and equivalent for both eyes. In experimental groups, regardless of whether experiencing a growth stimulatory input (diffuser; negative lens) or growth inhibitory input (positive lens), DOPAC levels were reduced compared both to fellow eyes and to those of normal controls (p < 0.001 for each). These diurnal variations in vitreous DOPAC levels under different visual conditions indicate a complexity for dopaminergic mechanisms in refractive development that requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Nickla
- Department of Biosciences, The New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - S Sarfare
- Department of Biosciences, The New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - B McGeehan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - W Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - J Elin-Calcador
- Department of Biosciences, The New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - S Dhakal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Dixon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M G Maguire
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - R A Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - P M Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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24
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Stone RA, Wei W, Sarfare S, McGeehan B, Engelhart KC, Khurana TS, Maguire MG, Iuvone PM, Nickla DL. Visual Image Quality Impacts Circadian Rhythm-Related Gene Expression in Retina and in Choroid: A Potential Mechanism for Ametropias. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:13. [PMID: 32396635 PMCID: PMC7405616 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.5.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Stimulated by evidence implicating diurnal/circadian rhythms and light in refractive development, we studied the expression over 24 hours of selected clock and circadian rhythm-related genes in retina/retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid of experimental ametropias in chicks. Methods Newly hatched chicks, entrained to a 12-hour light/dark cycle for 12 to 14 days, either experienced nonrestricted vision OU (i.e., in both eyes) or received an image-blurring diffuser or a minus 10-diopter (D) or a plus 10-D defocusing lens over one eye. Starting 1 day later and at 4-hour intervals for 24 hours, the retina/RPE and choroid were separately dissected. Without pooling, total RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA, and assayed by quantitative PCR for the expression of the following genes: Opn4m, Clock, Npas2, Per3, Cry1, Arntl, and Mtnr1a. Results The expression of each gene in retina/RPE and in choroid of eyes with nonrestricted vision OU varied over 24 hours, with equal levels OU for most genes and times. Altered visual input influenced gene expression in complex patterns that varied by gene, visual input, time, and eye, affecting experimental eyes with altered vision and also contralateral eyes with nonrestricted vision. Discussion Altering visual input in ways known to induce ametropias alters the retinal/RPE and choroidal expression of circadian rhythm-related genes, further linking circadian biology with eye growth regulation. While further investigations are needed, studying circadian processes may help understand refractive mechanisms and the increasing myopia prevalence in contemporary societies where lighting patterns can desynchronize endogenous rhythms from the natural environmental light/dark cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Wenjie Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shanta Sarfare
- Department of Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Brendan McGeehan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - K. Cameron Engelhart
- Department of Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Tejvir S. Khurana
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Maureen G. Maguire
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - P. Michael Iuvone
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Debora L. Nickla
- Department of Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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25
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Hysi PG, Choquet H, Khawaja AP, Wojciechowski R, Tedja MS, Yin J, Simcoe MJ, Patasova K, Mahroo OA, Thai KK, Cumberland PM, Melles RB, Verhoeven VJM, Vitart V, Segre A, Stone RA, Wareham N, Hewitt AW, Mackey DA, Klaver CCW, MacGregor S, Khaw PT, Foster PJ, Guggenheim JA, Rahi JS, Jorgenson E, Hammond CJ. Meta-analysis of 542,934 subjects of European ancestry identifies new genes and mechanisms predisposing to refractive error and myopia. Nat Genet 2020; 52:401-407. [PMID: 32231278 PMCID: PMC7145443 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0599-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Refractive errors, in particular myopia, are a leading cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. Genetic investigation can improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie abnormal eye development and impaired vision. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that involved 542,934 European participants and identified 336 novel genetic loci associated with refractive error. Collectively, all associated genetic variants explain 18.4% of heritability and improve the accuracy of myopia prediction (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.75). Our results suggest that refractive error is genetically heterogeneous, driven by genes that participate in the development of every anatomical component of the eye. In addition, our analyses suggest that genetic factors controlling circadian rhythm and pigmentation are also involved in the development of myopia and refractive error. These results may enable the prediction of refractive error and the development of personalized myopia prevention strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pirro G Hysi
- Section of Ophthalmology, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK. .,Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK. .,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Hélène Choquet
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robert Wojciechowski
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Milly S Tedja
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jie Yin
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Mark J Simcoe
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Karina Patasova
- Section of Ophthalmology, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Omar A Mahroo
- Section of Ophthalmology, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Khanh K Thai
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Phillippa M Cumberland
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.,Ulverscroft Vision Research Group, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ronald B Melles
- Department of Ophthalmology Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Virginie J M Verhoeven
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Veronique Vitart
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ayellet Segre
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard A Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nick Wareham
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alex W Hewitt
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - David A Mackey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.,Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Western Australia, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stuart MacGregor
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Peng T Khaw
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Paul J Foster
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.,Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jugnoo S Rahi
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.,Ulverscroft Vision Research Group, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Ophthalmology and NIHR, Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Eric Jorgenson
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Hammond
- Section of Ophthalmology, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
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26
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Ko GYP. Circadian regulation in the retina: From molecules to network. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:194-216. [PMID: 30270466 PMCID: PMC6441387 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian retina is the most unique tissue among those that display robust circadian/diurnal oscillations. The retina is not only a light sensing tissue that relays light information to the brain, it has its own circadian "system" independent from any influence from other circadian oscillators. While all retinal cells and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) possess circadian oscillators, these oscillators integrate by means of neural synapses, electrical coupling (gap junctions), and released neurochemicals (such as dopamine, melatonin, adenosine, and ATP), so the whole retina functions as an integrated circadian system. Dysregulation of retinal clocks not only causes retinal or ocular diseases, it also impacts the circadian rhythm of the whole body, as the light information transmitted from the retina entrains the brain clock that governs the body circadian rhythms. In this review, how circadian oscillations in various retinal cells are integrated, and how retinal diseases affect daily rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gladys Y-P Ko
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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27
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Tkatchenko TV, Tkatchenko AV. Pharmacogenomic Approach to Antimyopia Drug Development: Pathways Lead the Way. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:833-852. [PMID: 31676152 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Myopia is the most common eye disorder in the world which is caused by a mismatch between the optical power of the eye and its excessively long axial length. Recent studies revealed that the regulation of the axial length of the eye occurs via a complex signaling cascade, which originates in the retina and propagates across all ocular tissues to the sclera. The complexity of this regulatory cascade has made it particularly difficult to develop effective antimyopia drugs. The current pharmacological treatment options for myopia are limited to atropine and 7-methylxanthine, which have either significant adverse effects or low efficacy. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in genome-wide studies of the signaling pathways underlying myopia development and discuss the potential of systems genetics and pharmacogenomic approaches for the development of antimyopia drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei V Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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28
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Tkatchenko TV, Shah RL, Nagasaki T, Tkatchenko AV. Analysis of genetic networks regulating refractive eye development in collaborative cross progenitor strain mice reveals new genes and pathways underlying human myopia. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:113. [PMID: 31362747 PMCID: PMC6668126 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0560-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population studies suggest that genetic factors play an important role in refractive error development; however, the precise role of genetic background and the composition of the signaling pathways underlying refractive eye development remain poorly understood. METHODS Here, we analyzed normal refractive development and susceptibility to form-deprivation myopia in the eight progenitor mouse strains of the Collaborative Cross (CC). We used RNA-seq to analyze gene expression in the retinae of these mice and reconstruct genetic networks and signaling pathways underlying refractive eye development. We also utilized genome-wide gene-based association analysis to identify mouse genes and pathways associated with myopia in humans. RESULTS Genetic background strongly influenced both baseline refractive development and susceptibility to environmentally-induced myopia. Baseline refractive errors ranged from - 21.2 diopters (D) in 129S1/svlmj mice to + 22.0 D in CAST/EiJ mice and represented a continuous distribution typical of a quantitative genetic trait. The extent of induced form-deprivation myopia ranged from - 5.6 D in NZO/HILtJ mice to - 20.0 D in CAST/EiJ mice and also followed a continuous distribution. Whole-genome (RNA-seq) gene expression profiling in retinae from CC progenitor strains identified genes whose expression level correlated with either baseline refractive error or susceptibility to myopia. Expression levels of 2,302 genes correlated with the baseline refractive state of the eye, whereas 1,917 genes correlated with susceptibility to induced myopia. Genome-wide gene-based association analysis in the CREAM and UK Biobank human cohorts revealed that 985 of the above genes were associated with myopia in humans, including 847 genes which were implicated in the development of human myopia for the first time. Although the gene sets controlling baseline refractive development and those regulating susceptibility to myopia overlapped, these two processes appeared to be controlled by largely distinct sets of genes. CONCLUSIONS Comparison with data for other animal models of myopia revealed that the genes identified in this study comprise a well-defined set of retinal signaling pathways, which are highly conserved across different vertebrate species. These results identify major signaling pathways involved in refractive eye development and provide attractive targets for the development of anti-myopia drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rupal L. Shah
- School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Andrei V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
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29
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Altered ocular parameters from circadian clock gene disruptions. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217111. [PMID: 31211778 PMCID: PMC6581257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of refractive errors is poorly understood. Myopia (nearsightedness) in particular both blurs vision and predisposes the eye to many blinding diseases during adulthood. Based on past findings of diurnal variations in the dimensions of the eyes of humans and other vertebrates, altered diurnal rhythms of these ocular dimensions with experimentally induced myopia, and evolving evidence that ambient light exposures influence refractive development, we assessed whether disturbances in circadian signals might alter the refractive development of the eye. In mice, retinal-specific knockout of the clock gene Bmal1 induces myopia and elongates the vitreous chamber, the optical compartment separating the lens and the retina. These alterations simulate common ocular findings in clinical myopia. In Drosophila melanogaster, knockouts of the clock genes cycle or period lengthen the pseudocone, the optical component of the ommatidium that separates the facet lens from the photoreceptors. Disrupting circadian signaling thus alters optical development of the eye in widely separated species. We propose that mechanisms of myopia include circadian dysregulation, a frequent occurrence in modern societies where myopia also is both highly prevalent and increasing at alarming rates. Addressing circadian dysregulation may improve understanding of the pathogenesis of refractive errors and introduce novel therapeutic approaches to ameliorate myopia development in children.
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30
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Troilo D, Smith EL, Nickla DL, Ashby R, Tkatchenko AV, Ostrin LA, Gawne TJ, Pardue MT, Summers JA, Kee CS, Schroedl F, Wahl S, Jones L. IMI - Report on Experimental Models of Emmetropization and Myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 60:M31-M88. [PMID: 30817827 PMCID: PMC6738517 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-25967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The results of many studies in a variety of species have significantly advanced our understanding of the role of visual experience and the mechanisms of postnatal eye growth, and the development of myopia. This paper surveys and reviews the major contributions that experimental studies using animal models have made to our thinking about emmetropization and development of myopia. These studies established important concepts informing our knowledge of the visual regulation of eye growth and refractive development and have transformed treatment strategies for myopia. Several major findings have come from studies of experimental animal models. These include the eye's ability to detect the sign of retinal defocus and undergo compensatory growth, the local retinal control of eye growth, regulatory changes in choroidal thickness, and the identification of components in the biochemistry of eye growth leading to the characterization of signal cascades regulating eye growth and refractive state. Several of these findings provided the proofs of concepts that form the scientific basis of new and effective clinical treatments for controlling myopia progression in humans. Experimental animal models continue to provide new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of eye growth control, including the identification of potential new targets for drug development and future treatments needed to stem the increasing prevalence of myopia and the vision-threatening conditions associated with this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Troilo
- SUNY College of Optometry, State University of New York, New York, New York, United States
| | - Earl L. Smith
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Debora L. Nickla
- Biomedical Sciences and Disease, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Regan Ashby
- Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Andrei V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States
| | - Lisa A. Ostrin
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Timothy J. Gawne
- School of Optometry, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Machelle T. Pardue
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech College of Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia, United States31
| | - Jody A. Summers
- College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Chea-su Kee
- School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Falk Schroedl
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Siegfried Wahl
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tuebingen, Zeiss Vision Science Laboratory, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Lyndon Jones
- CORE, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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31
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Tkatchenko TV, Troilo D, Benavente-Perez A, Tkatchenko AV. Gene expression in response to optical defocus of opposite signs reveals bidirectional mechanism of visually guided eye growth. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2006021. [PMID: 30300342 PMCID: PMC6177118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common eye disorder, which is rapidly becoming one of the leading causes of vision loss in several parts of the world because of a recent sharp increase in prevalence. Nearwork, which produces hyperopic optical defocus on the retina, has been implicated as one of the environmental risk factors causing myopia in humans. Experimental studies have shown that hyperopic defocus imposed by negative power lenses placed in front of the eye accelerates eye growth and causes myopia, whereas myopic defocus imposed by positive lenses slows eye growth and produces a compensatory hyperopic shift in refractive state. The balance between these two optical signals is thought to regulate refractive eye development; however, the ability of the retina to recognize the sign of optical defocus and the composition of molecular signaling pathways guiding emmetropization are the subjects of intense investigation and debate. We found that the retina can readily distinguish between imposed myopic and hyperopic defocus, and identified key signaling pathways underlying retinal response to the defocus of different signs. Comparison of retinal transcriptomes in common marmosets exposed to either myopic or hyperopic defocus for 10 days or 5 weeks revealed that the primate retina responds to defocus of different signs by activation or suppression of largely distinct pathways. We also found that 29 genes differentially expressed in the marmoset retina in response to imposed defocus are localized within human myopia quantitative trait loci (QTLs), suggesting functional overlap between genes differentially expressed in the marmoset retina upon exposure to optical defocus and genes causing myopia in humans. These findings identify retinal pathways involved in the development of myopia, as well as potential new strategies for its treatment. The worldwide prevalence of myopia is predicted to increase from the current 23% to about 50% in the next three decades. Although much effort has been directed towards elucidating the mechanisms underlying refractive eye development and myopia, treatment options for myopia are mostly limited to optical correction, which does not prevent progression of myopia nor the pathological blinding complications often associated with the disease. Several experimental optics-based treatments have had only limited effect on myopia progression, and currently available drug treatments are limited and the mechanisms of action are not well understood. The development of safe and effective pharmacological treatments for myopia is urgently needed to prevent the impending myopia epidemic. The main obstacles that prevent the development of anti-myopia drugs are the uncertainties regarding the mechanisms controlling eye growth and optical development, including the molecular signaling pathways underlying it. In this study, we show that, contrary to the conventional thinking that myopic and hyperopic defocus trigger opposite changes in the same genes and pathways to guide postnatal eye growth, defocus of opposite signs affect eye growth via largely distinct retinal pathways. Knowing that myopic and hyperopic defocus signals drive eye growth in opposite directions and propagate via different pathways provides a framework for the development of new anti-myopia drugs. Myopia can be controlled pharmacologically by stimulating pathways underlying the retinal response to positive lenses and/or by suppressing pathways underlying the retinal response to negative lenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - David Troilo
- College of Optometry, State University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Andrei V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Riddell N, Faou P, Crewther SG. Short term optical defocus perturbs normal developmental shifts in retina/RPE protein abundance. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 18:18. [PMID: 30157773 PMCID: PMC6116556 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-018-0177-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myopia (short-sightedness) affects approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide, and prevalence is increasing. Animal models induced by defocusing lenses show striking similarity with human myopia in terms of morphology and the implicated genetic pathways. Less is known about proteome changes in animals. Thus, the present study aimed to improve understanding of protein pathway responses to lens defocus, with an emphasis on relating expression changes to no lens control development and identifying bidirectional and/or distinct pathways across myopia and hyperopia (long-sightedness) models. RESULTS Quantitative label-free proteomics and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to examine protein pathway expression in the retina/RPE of chicks following 6 h and 48 h of myopia induction with - 10 dioptre (D) lenses, hyperopia induction with +10D lenses, or normal no lens rearing. Seventy-one pathways linked to cell development and neuronal maturation were differentially enriched between 6 and 48 h in no lens chicks. The majority of these normal developmental changes were disrupted by lens-wear (47 of 71 pathways), however, only 11 pathways displayed distinct expression profiles across the lens conditions. Most notably, negative lens-wear induced up-regulation of proteins involved in ATP-driven ion transport, calcium homeostasis, and GABA signalling between 6 and 48 h, while the same proteins were down-regulated over time in normally developing chicks. Glutamate and bicarbonate/chloride transporters were also down-regulated over time in normally developing chicks, and positive lens-wear inhibited this down-regulation. CONCLUSIONS The chick retina/RPE proteome undergoes extensive pathway expression shifts during normal development. Most of these pathways are further disrupted by lens-wear. The identified expression patterns suggest close interactions between neurotransmission (as exemplified by increased GABA receptor and synaptic protein expression), cellular ion homeostasis, and associated energy resources during myopia induction. We have also provided novel evidence for changes to SLC-mediated transmembrane transport during hyperopia induction, with potential implications for signalling at the photoreceptor-bipolar synapse. These findings reflect a key role for perturbed neurotransmission and ionic homeostasis in optically-induced refractive errors, and are predicted by our Retinal Ion Driven Efflux (RIDE) model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Riddell
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Plenty Rd., Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia.
| | - Pierre Faou
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Plenty Rd., Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia
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Giummarra L, Crewther SG, Riddell N, Murphy MJ, Crewther DP. Pathway analysis identifies altered mitochondrial metabolism, neurotransmission, structural pathways and complement cascade in retina/RPE/ choroid in chick model of form-deprivation myopia. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5048. [PMID: 29967729 PMCID: PMC6026464 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose RNA sequencing analysis has demonstrated bidirectional changes in metabolism, structural and immune pathways during early induction of defocus induced myopia. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether similar gene pathways are also related to the more excessive axial growth, ultrastructural and elemental microanalytic changes seen during the induction and recovery from form-deprivation myopia (FDM) in chicks and predicted by the RIDE model of myopia. Methods Archived genomic transcriptome data from the first three days of induction of monocularly occluded form deprived myopia (FDMI) in chicks was obtained from the GEO database (accession # GSE6543) while data from chicks monocularly occluded for 10 days and then given up to 24 h of normal visual recovery (FDMR) were collected. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) software was used to determine enriched pathways during the induction (FDMI) and recovery (FDMR) from FD. Curated gene-sets were obtained from open access sources. Results Clusters of significant changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism, neurotransmission, ion channel transport, G protein coupled receptor signalling, complement cascades and neuron structure and growth were identified during the 10 days of induction of profound myopia and were found to correlate well with change in axial dimensions. Bile acid and bile salt metabolism pathways (cholesterol/lipid metabolism and sodium channel activation) were significantly upregulated during the first 24 h of recovery from 10 days of FDM. Conclusions The gene pathways altered during induction of FDM are similar to those reported in defocus induced myopia and are established indicators of oxidative stress, osmoregulatory and associated structural changes. These findings are also consistent with the choroidal thinning, axial elongation and hyperosmotic ion distribution patterns across the retina and choroid previously reported in FDM and predicted by RIDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loretta Giummarra
- School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nina Riddell
- School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie J Murphy
- School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David P Crewther
- Centre for Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
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Chakraborty R, Ostrin LA, Nickla DL, Iuvone PM, Pardue MT, Stone RA. Circadian rhythms, refractive development, and myopia. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2018; 38:217-245. [PMID: 29691928 PMCID: PMC6038122 DOI: 10.1111/opo.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite extensive research, mechanisms regulating postnatal eye growth and those responsible for ametropias are poorly understood. With the marked recent increases in myopia prevalence, robust and biologically-based clinical therapies to normalize refractive development in childhood are needed. Here, we review classic and contemporary literature about how circadian biology might provide clues to develop a framework to improve the understanding of myopia etiology, and possibly lead to rational approaches to ameliorate refractive errors developing in children. RECENT FINDINGS Increasing evidence implicates diurnal and circadian rhythms in eye growth and refractive error development. In both humans and animals, ocular length and other anatomical and physiological features of the eye undergo diurnal oscillations. Systemically, such rhythms are primarily generated by the 'master clock' in the surpachiasmatic nucleus, which receives input from the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) through the activation of the photopigment melanopsin. The retina also has an endogenous circadian clock. In laboratory animals developing experimental myopia, oscillations of ocular parameters are perturbed. Retinal signaling is now believed to influence refractive development; dopamine, an important neurotransmitter found in the retina, not only entrains intrinsic retinal rhythms to the light:dark cycle, but it also modulates refractive development. Circadian clocks comprise a transcription/translation feedback control mechanism utilizing so-called clock genes that have now been associated with experimental ametropias. Contemporary clinical research is also reviving ideas first proposed in the nineteenth century that light exposures might impact refraction in children. As a result, properties of ambient lighting are being investigated in refractive development. In other areas of medical science, circadian dysregulation is now thought to impact many non-ocular disorders, likely because the patterns of modern artificial lighting exert adverse physiological effects on circadian pacemakers. How, or if, such modern light exposures and circadian dysregulation contribute to refractive development is not known. SUMMARY The premise of this review is that circadian biology could be a productive area worthy of increased investigation, which might lead to the improved understanding of refractive development and improved therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjay Chakraborty
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Machelle T. Pardue
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
- Atlanta VA Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur
| | - Richard A. Stone
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
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He L, Frost MR, Siegwart JT, Norton TT. Altered gene expression in tree shrew retina and retinal pigment epithelium produced by short periods of minus-lens wear. Exp Eye Res 2018; 168:77-88. [PMID: 29329973 PMCID: PMC5826887 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hyperopic refractive error is detected by retinal neurons, which generate GO signals through a direct emmetropization signaling cascade: retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) into choroid and then into sclera, thereby increasing axial elongation. To examine signaling early in this cascade, we measured gene expression in the retina and RPE after short exposure to hyperopia produced by minus-lens wear. Gene expression in each tissue was compared with gene expression in combined retina + RPE. Starting 24 days after normal eye opening, three groups of juvenile tree shrews (n = 7 each) wore a monocular -5 D lens. The untreated fellow eye served as a control. The "6h" group wore the lens for 6 h; the "24h" group wore the lens for 24 h; each group provided separate retina and RPE tissues. Group "24hC" wore the lens for 24 h and provided combined retina + RPE tissue. Quantitative PCR was used to measure the relative differences (treated eye vs. control eye) in mRNA levels for 66 candidate genes. In the retina after 6 h, mRNA levels for seven genes were significantly regulated: EGR1 and FOS (early intermediate genes) were down-regulated in the treated eyes. Genes with secreted protein products, BMP2 and CTGF, were down-regulated, whilst FGF10, IL18, and SST were up-regulated. After 24 h the pattern changed; only one of the seven genes still showed differential expression; BMP2 was still down-regulated. Two new genes with secreted protein products, IGF2 and VIP, were up-regulated. In the RPE, consistent with its role in receiving, processing, and transmitting GO signaling, differential expression was found for genes whose protein products are at the cell surface, intracellular, in the nucleus, and are secreted. After 6 h, mRNA levels for 17 genes were down-regulated in the treated eyes, whilst four genes (GJA1, IGF2R, LRP2, and IL18) were up-regulated. After 24 h the pattern was similar; mRNA levels for 14 of the same genes were still down-regulated; only LRP2 remained up-regulated. mRNA levels for six genes no longer showed differential expression, whilst nine genes, not differentially expressed at 6 h, now showed differential expression. In the combined retina + RPE after 24 h, mRNA levels for only seven genes were differentially regulated despite the differential expression of many genes in the RPE. Four genes showed the same expression in combined tissue as in retina alone, including up-regulation of VIP despite significant VIP down-regulation in RPE. Thus, hyperopia-induced GO signaling, as measured by differential gene expression, differs in the retina and the RPE. Retinal gene expression changed between 6 h and 24 h of treatment, suggesting evolution of the retinal response. Gene expression in the RPE was similar at both time points, suggesting sustained signaling. The combined retina + RPE does not accurately represent gene expression in either retina or, especially, RPE. When gene expression signatures were compared with those in choroid and sclera, GO signaling, as encoded by differential gene expression, differs in each compartment of the direct emmetropization signaling cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Michael R Frost
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
| | - John T Siegwart
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Thomas T Norton
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
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Riddell N, Faou P, Murphy M, Giummarra L, Downs RA, Rajapaksha H, Crewther SG. The retina/RPE proteome in chick myopia and hyperopia models: Commonalities with inherited and age-related ocular pathologies. Mol Vis 2017; 23:872-888. [PMID: 29259393 PMCID: PMC5723150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Microarray and RNA sequencing studies in the chick model of early optically induced refractive error have implicated thousands of genes, many of which have also been linked to ocular pathologies in humans, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), choroidal neovascularization, glaucoma, and cataract. These findings highlight the potential relevance of the chick model to understanding both refractive error development and the progression to secondary pathological complications. The present study aimed to determine whether proteomic responses to early optical defocus in the chick share similarities with these transcriptome-level changes, particularly in terms of dysregulation of pathology-related molecular processes. Methods Chicks were assigned to a lens condition (monocular +10 D [diopters] to induce hyperopia, -10 D to induce myopia, or no lens) on post-hatch day 5. Biometric measures were collected following a further 6 h and 48 h of rearing. The retina/RPE was then removed and prepared for liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) on an LTQ-Orbitrap Elite. Raw data were processed using MaxQuant, and differentially abundant proteins were identified using moderated t tests (fold change ≥1.5, Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p<0.05). These differentially abundant proteins were compared with the genes and proteins implicated in previous exploratory transcriptome and proteomic studies of refractive error, as well as the genes and proteins linked to the ocular pathologies listed above for which myopia or hyperopia are risk factors. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to assess whether gene sets from the Human Phenotype Ontology database were enriched in the lens groups relative to the no lens groups, and at the top or bottom of the protein data ranked by Spearman's correlation with refraction at 6 and 48 h. Results Refractive errors of -2.63 D ± 0.31 D (mean ± standard error, SE) and 3.90 D ± 0.37 D were evident in the negative and positive lens groups, respectively, at 6 h. By 48 h, refractive compensation to both lens types was almost complete (negative lens -9.70 D ± 0.41 D, positive lens 7.70 D ± 0.44 D). More than 140 differentially abundant proteins were identified in each lens group relative to the no lens controls at both time points. No proteins were differentially abundant between the negative and positive lens groups at 6 h, and 13 were differentially abundant at 48 h. As there was substantial overlap in the proteins implicated across the six comparisons, a total of 390 differentially abundant proteins were identified. Sixty-five of these 390 proteins had previously been implicated in transcriptome studies of refractive error animal models, and 42 had previously been associated with AMD, choroidal neovascularization, glaucoma, and/or cataract in humans. The overlap of differentially abundant proteins with AMD-associated genes and proteins was statistically significant for all conditions (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p<0.05), with over-representation analysis implicating ontologies related to oxidative stress, cholesterol homeostasis, and melanin biosynthesis. GSEA identified significant enrichment of genes associated with abnormal electroretinogram, photophobia, and nyctalopia phenotypes in the proteins negatively correlated with ocular refraction across the lens groups at 6 h. The implicated proteins were primarily linked to photoreceptor dystrophies and mitochondrial disorders in humans. Conclusions Optical defocus in the chicks induces rapid changes in the abundance of many proteins in the retina/RPE that have previously been linked to inherited and age-related ocular pathologies in humans. Similar changes have been identified in a meta-analysis of chick refractive error transcriptome studies, highlighting the chick as a model for the study of optically induced stress with possible relevance to understanding the development of a range of pathological states in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Riddell
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Pierre Faou
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melanie Murphy
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Loretta Giummarra
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rachael A. Downs
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Harinda Rajapaksha
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G. Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Riddell N, Crewther SG. Novel evidence for complement system activation in chick myopia and hyperopia models: a meta-analysis of transcriptome datasets. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9719. [PMID: 28852117 PMCID: PMC5574905 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10277-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Myopia (short-sightedness) and hyperopia (long-sightedness) occur when the eye grows too long or short, respectively, for its refractive power. There are currently approximately 1.45 billion myopes worldwide and prevalence is rising dramatically. Although high myopia significantly increases the risk of developing a range of sight-threatening disorders, the molecular mechanisms underlying ocular growth regulation and its relationship to these secondary complications remain poorly understood. Thus, this study meta-analyzed transcriptome datasets collected in the commonly used chick model of optically-induced refractive error. Fifteen datasets (collected across five previous studies) were obtained from GEO, preprocessed in Bioconductor, and divided into 4 conditions representing early (≤1 day) and late (>1 day) myopia and hyperopia induction. Differentially expressed genes in each condition were then identified using Rank Product meta-analysis. The results provide novel evidence for transcriptional activation of the complement system during both myopia and hyperopia induction, and confirm existing literature implicating cell signaling, mitochondrial, and structural processes in refractive error. Further comparisons demonstrated that the meta-analysis results also significantly improve concordance with broader omics data types (i.e., human genetic association and animal proteomics studies) relative to previous transcriptome studies, and show extensive similarities with the genes linked to age-related macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularization, and cataract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Riddell
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
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Stone RA, Cohen Y, McGlinn AM, Davison S, Casavant S, Shaffer J, Khurana TS, Pardue MT, Iuvone PM. Development of Experimental Myopia in Chicks in a Natural Environment. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 57:4779-89. [PMID: 27618415 PMCID: PMC5024671 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-19310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The hypothesis that outdoor exposure might protect against myopia has generated much interest, although available data find only modest clinical efficacy. We tested the effect of outdoor rearing on form-deprivation myopia in chicks, a myopia model markedly inhibited by high-intensity indoor laboratory lighting. Methods Unilaterally goggled cohorts of White Leghorn chicks were maintained in a species-appropriate, outdoor rural setting during daylight hours to the extent permitted by weather. Control chicks were reared indoors with incandescent lighting. Besides ocular refraction and ultrasound, we determined dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content in retina and vitreous and measured mRNA expression levels of selected clock and circadian rhythm-related genes in the retina/RPE. Results Myopia developed in the goggled eyes of all cohorts. Whereas outdoor rearing lessened myopia by 44% at 4 days, a protective effect was no longer evident at 11 days. Outdoor rearing had no consistent effect on retinal or vitreous content of dopamine or DOPAC. Conforming to prior data on form-deprivation myopia, retina and vitreous levels of DOPAC were reduced in goggled eyes. Compared with contralateral eyes, the retinal expression of clock and circadian rhythm-related genes was modestly altered in myopic eyes of chicks reared indoors or outdoors. Conclusions Outdoor rearing of chicks induces only a partial decrease of goggle-induced myopia that is not maintained, without evidence that retinal dopamine metabolism accounts for the partial myopia inhibition under these outdoor conditions. Although modest, alterations in retinal gene expression suggest that studying circadian signals might be informative for understanding refractive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Yuval Cohen
- Department of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alice M McGlinn
- Department of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Sherrill Davison
- Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Susan Casavant
- Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - James Shaffer
- Department of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Tejvir S Khurana
- Department of Physiology and Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States 5Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, United States
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States 7Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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Riddell N, Giummarra L, Hall NE, Crewther SG. Bidirectional Expression of Metabolic, Structural, and Immune Pathways in Early Myopia and Hyperopia. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:390. [PMID: 27625591 PMCID: PMC5003873 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Myopia (short-sightedness) affects 1.45 billion people worldwide, many of whom will develop sight-threatening secondary disorders. Myopic eyes are characterized by excessive size while hyperopic (long-sighted) eyes are typically small. The biological and genetic mechanisms underpinning the retina's local control of these growth patterns remain unclear. In the present study, we used RNA sequencing to examine gene expression in the retina/RPE/choroid across 3 days of optically-induced myopia and hyperopia induction in chick. Data were analyzed for differential expression of single genes, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to identify gene sets correlated with ocular axial length and refraction across lens groups. Like previous studies, we found few single genes that were differentially-expressed in a sign-of-defocus dependent manner (only BMP2 at 1 day). Using GSEA, however, we are the first to show that more subtle shifts in structural, metabolic, and immune pathway expression are correlated with the eye size and refractive changes induced by lens defocus. Our findings link gene expression with the morphological characteristics of refractive error, and suggest that physiological stress arising from metabolic and inflammatory pathway activation could increase the vulnerability of myopic eyes to secondary pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Riddell
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Loretta Giummarra
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nathan E Hall
- Life Sciences Computation Centre, Victorian Life Sciences Computation InitiativeMelbourne, VIC, Australia; La Trobe UniversityMelbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Abstract
Ocular clocks, first identified in the retina, are also found in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), cornea, and ciliary body. The retina is a complex tissue of many cell types and considerable effort has gone into determining which cell types exhibit clock properties. Current data suggest that photoreceptors as well as inner retinal neurons exhibit clock properties with photoreceptors dominating in nonmammalian vertebrates and inner retinal neurons dominating in mice. However, these differences may in part reflect the choice of circadian output, and it is likely that clock properties are widely dispersed among many retinal cell types. The phase of the retinal clock can be set directly by light. In nonmammalian vertebrates, direct light sensitivity is commonplace among body clocks, but in mice only the retina and cornea retain direct light-dependent phase regulation. This distinguishes the retina and possibly other ocular clocks from peripheral oscillators whose phase depends on the pace-making properties of the hypothalamic central brain clock, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). However, in mice, retinal circadian oscillations dampen quickly in isolation due to weak coupling of its individual cell-autonomous oscillators, and there is no evidence that retinal clocks are directly controlled through input from other oscillators. Retinal circadian regulation in both mammals and nonmammalian vertebrates uses melatonin and dopamine as dark- and light-adaptive neuromodulators, respectively, and light can regulate circadian phase indirectly through dopamine signaling. The melatonin/dopamine system appears to have evolved among nonmammalian vertebrates and retained with modification in mammals. Circadian clocks in the eye are critical for optimum visual function where they play a role fine tuning visual sensitivity, and their disruption can affect diseases such as glaucoma or retinal degeneration syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Besharse
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Douglas G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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He L, Frost MR, Siegwart JT, Norton TT. Gene expression signatures in tree shrew choroid in response to three myopiagenic conditions. Vision Res 2014; 102:52-63. [PMID: 25072854 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We examined gene expression in tree shrew choroid in response to three different myopiagenic conditions: minus lens (ML) wear, form deprivation (FD), and continuous darkness (DK). Four groups of tree shrews (n=7 per group) were used. Starting 24 days after normal eye opening (days of visual experience [DVE]), the ML group wore a monocular -5D lens for 2 days. The FD group wore a monocular translucent diffuser for 2 days. The DK group experienced continuous darkness binocularly for 11 days, starting at 17 DVE. An age-matched normal group was examined at 26 DVE. Quantitative PCR was used to measure the relative (treated eye vs. control eye) differences in mRNA levels in the choroid for 77 candidate genes. Small myopic changes were observed in the treated eyes (relative to the control eyes) of the ML group (-1.0±0.2D; mean±SEM) and FD group (-1.9±0.2D). A larger myopia developed in the DK group (-4.4±1.0D) relative to Normal eyes (both groups, mean of right and left eyes). In the ML group, 28 genes showed significant differential mRNA expression; eighteen were down-regulated. A very similar pattern occurred in the FD group; twenty-seven of the same genes were similarly regulated, along with five additional genes. Fewer expression differences in the DK group were significant compared to normal or the control eyes of the ML and FD groups, but the pattern was similar to that of the ML and FD differential expression patterns. These data suggest that, at the level of the choroid, the gene expression signatures produced by "GO" emmetropization signals are highly similar despite the different visual conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Michael R Frost
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States.
| | - John T Siegwart
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Thomas T Norton
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
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He L, Frost MR, Siegwart JT, Norton TT. Gene expression signatures in tree shrew choroid during lens-induced myopia and recovery. Exp Eye Res 2014; 123:56-71. [PMID: 24742494 PMCID: PMC4155741 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression in tree shrew choroid was examined during the development of minus-lens induced myopia (LIM, a GO condition), after completion of minus-lens compensation (a STAY condition), and early in recovery (REC) from induced myopia (a STOP condition). Five groups of tree shrews (n = 7 per group) were used. Starting 24 days after normal eye-opening (days of visual experience [DVE]), one minus-lens group wore a monocular -5 D lens for 2 days (LIM-2), another minus-lens group achieved stable lens compensation while wearing a monocular -5 D lens for 11 days (LIM-11); a recovery group also wore a -5 D lens for 11 days and then received 2 days of recovery starting at 35 DVE (REC-2). Two age-matched normal groups were examined at 26 DVE and 37 DVE. Quantitative PCR was used to measure the relative differences in mRNA levels in the choroid for 77 candidate genes that were selected based on previous studies or because a whole-transcriptome analysis suggested their expression would change during myopia development or recovery. Small myopic changes were observed in the treated eyes of the LIM-2 group (-1.0 ± 0.2 D; mean ± SEM) indicating eyes were early in the process of developing LIM. The LIM-11 group exhibited complete refractive compensation (-5.1 ± 0.2 D) that was stable for five days. The REC-2 group recovered by 1.3 ± 0.3 D from full refractive compensation. Sixty genes showed significant mRNA expression differences during normal development, LIM, or REC conditions. In LIM-2 choroid (GO), 18 genes were significantly down-regulated in the treated eyes relative to the fellow control eyes and 10 genes were significantly up-regulated. In LIM-11 choroid (STAY), 10 genes were significantly down-regulated and 12 genes were significantly up-regulated. Expression patterns in GO and STAY were similar, but not identical. All genes that showed differential expression in GO and STAY were regulated in the same direction in both conditions. In REC-2 choroid (STOP), 4 genes were significantly down-regulated and 18 genes were significantly up-regulated. Thirteen genes showed bi-directional regulation in GO vs. STOP. The pattern of differential gene expression in STOP was very different from that in GO or in STAY. Significant regulation was observed in genes involved in signaling as well as extracellular matrix turnover. These data support an active role for the choroid in the signaling cascade from retina to sclera. Distinctly different treated eye vs. control eye mRNA signatures are present in the choroid in the GO, STAY, and STOP conditions. The STAY signature, present after full compensation has occurred and the GO visual stimulus is no longer present, may participate in maintaining an elongated globe. The 13 genes with bi-directional expression differences in GO and STOP responded in a sign of defocus-dependent manner. Taken together, these data further suggest that a network of choroidal gene expression changes generate the signal that alters scleral fibroblast gene expression and axial elongation rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
| | - Michael R Frost
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - John T Siegwart
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Thomas T Norton
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
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Waring GO, Faria-Correia F. Cornea-Based Techniques and Technology for Surgical Correction of Presbyopia. CURRENT OPHTHALMOLOGY REPORTS 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40135-013-0035-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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McMahon DG, Iuvone PM, Tosini G. Circadian organization of the mammalian retina: from gene regulation to physiology and diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res 2013; 39:58-76. [PMID: 24333669 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The retinal circadian system represents a unique structure. It contains a complete circadian system and thus the retina represents an ideal model to study fundamental questions of how neural circadian systems are organized and what signaling pathways are used to maintain synchrony of the different structures in the system. In addition, several studies have shown that multiple sites within the retina are capable of generating circadian oscillations. The strength of circadian clock gene expression and the emphasis of rhythmic expression are divergent across vertebrate retinas, with photoreceptors as the primary locus of rhythm generation in amphibians, while in mammals clock activity is most robust in the inner nuclear layer. Melatonin and dopamine serve as signaling molecules to entrain circadian rhythms in the retina and also in other ocular structures. Recent studies have also suggested GABA as an important component of the system that regulates retinal circadian rhythms. These transmitter-driven influences on clock molecules apparently reinforce the autonomous transcription-translation cycling of clock genes. The molecular organization of the retinal clock is similar to what has been reported for the SCN although inter-neural communication among retinal neurons that form the circadian network is apparently weaker than those present in the SCN, and it is more sensitive to genetic disruption than the central brain clock. The melatonin-dopamine system is the signaling pathway that allows the retinal circadian clock to reconfigure retinal circuits to enhance light-adapted cone-mediated visual function during the day and dark-adapted rod-mediated visual signaling at night. Additionally, the retinal circadian clock also controls circadian rhythms in disk shedding and phagocytosis, and possibly intraocular pressure. Emerging experimental data also indicate that circadian clock is also implicated in the pathogenesis of eye disease and compelling experimental data indicate that dysfunction of the retinal circadian system negatively impacts the retina and possibly the cornea and the lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - P Michael Iuvone
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gianluca Tosini
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, 30310 GA, USA.
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Morgan IG, Ashby RS, Nickla DL. Form deprivation and lens-induced myopia: are they different? Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2013; 33:355-61. [PMID: 23662966 DOI: 10.1111/opo.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In the following point-counterpoint article, internationally-acclaimed myopia researchers were challenged to defend the two opposing sides of the topic defined by the title; their contributions, which appear in the order Point followed by Counterpoint, were peer-reviewed by both the editorial team and an external reviewer. Independently of the invited authors, the named member of the editorial team provided an Introduction and Summary, both of which were reviewed by the other members of the editorial team. By their nature, views expressed in each section of the Point-Counterpoint article are those of the author concerned and may not reflect the views of all of the authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G Morgan
- Research School of Biology, ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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Ramsey DJ, Ramsey KM, Vavvas DG. Genetic advances in ophthalmology: the role of melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in the circadian organization of the visual system. Semin Ophthalmol 2013; 28:406-21. [PMID: 24010846 DOI: 10.3109/08820538.2013.825294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Daily changes in the light-dark cycle are the principal environmental signal that enables organisms to synchronize their internal biology with the 24-hour day-night cycle. In humans, the visual system is integral to photoentrainment and is primarily driven by a specialized class of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) that express the photopigment melanopsin (OPN4) in the inner retina. These cells project through the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus, which serves as the body's master biological clock. At the same time, the retina itself possesses intrinsic circadian oscillations, exemplified by diurnal fluctuations in visual sensitivity, neurotransmitter levels, and outer segment turnover rates. Recently, it has been noted that both central and peripheral oscillators share a molecular clock consisting of an endogenous, circadian-driven, transcription-translation feedback loop that cycles with a periodicity of approximately 24 hours. This review will cover the role that melanopsin and ipRGCs play in the circadian organization of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Ramsey
- Retina Service, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Mass General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts , USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This study provides an overview of the three types of corneal inlays now in use for the correction of presbyopia and reviews recently published evidence of the inlays' safety and efficacy. RECENT FINDINGS Results for corneal reshaping and refractive inlays are promising, but very limited. Small-aperture inlays are already in widespread use and have been shown to improve uncorrected near and intermediate vision without a significant loss in distance acuity or an unacceptable increase in visual symptoms. Complications have been minimal, but the inlays may be removed if necessary. They do not prevent visualization or imaging of the retina and may be retained during subsequent cataract surgery. SUMMARY The presbyopic demographic is large and growing, with a high level of interest in spectacle independence. There is currently no other effective solutions for presbyopes who desire good uncorrected vision at all distances without the risks of intraocular surgery or the visual compromises of monovision. Additional research is needed, but the future for corneal inlay technology is bright.
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Shaaban S, Duzcan F, Yildirim C, Chan WM, Andrews C, Akarsu NA, Engle EC. Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of ECEL1-related congenital contracture syndromes. Clin Genet 2013; 85:562-7. [PMID: 23808592 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Using a combination of homozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified a novel missense c.1819G>A mutation (G607S) in the endothelin-converting enzyme-like 1 (ECEL1) gene in a consanguineous pedigree of Turkish origin presenting with a syndrome of camptodactyly, scoliosis, limited knee flexion, significant refractive errors and ophthalmoplegia. ECEL1 mutations were recently reported to cause recessive forms of distal arthrogryposis. This report expands on the molecular basis and the phenotypic spectrum of ECEL1-associated congenital contracture syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Shaaban
- Department of Neurology; F.B. Kirby Neurobiology Center; Program in Genomics; Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research, Boston, MA, USA
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Tran-Viet KN, Powell C, Barathi V, Klemm T, Maurer-Stroh S, Limviphuvadh V, Soler V, Ho C, Yanovitch T, Schneider G, Li YJ, Nading E, Metlapally R, Saw SM, Goh L, Rozen S, Young T. Mutations in SCO2 are associated with autosomal-dominant high-grade myopia. Am J Hum Genet 2013; 92:820-6. [PMID: 23643385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Myopia, or near-sightedness, is an ocular refractive error of unfocused image quality in front of the retinal plane. Individuals with high-grade myopia (dioptric power greater than -6.00) are predisposed to ocular morbidities such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic maculopathy. Nonsyndromic, high-grade myopia is highly heritable, and to date multiple gene loci have been reported. We performed exome sequencing in 4 individuals from an 11-member family of European descent from the United States. Affected individuals had a mean dioptric spherical equivalent of -22.00 sphere. A premature stop codon mutation c.157C>T (p.Gln53*) cosegregating with disease was discovered within SCO2 that maps to chromosome 22q13.33. Subsequent analyses identified three additional mutations in three highly myopic unrelated individuals (c.341G>A, c.418G>A, and c.776C>T). To determine differential gene expression in a developmental mouse model, we induced myopia by applying a -15.00D lens over one eye. Messenger RNA levels of SCO2 were significantly downregulated in myopic mouse retinae. Immunohistochemistry in mouse eyes confirmed SCO2 protein localization in retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and sclera. SCO2 encodes for a copper homeostasis protein influential in mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity. Copper deficiencies have been linked with photoreceptor loss and myopia with increased scleral wall elasticity. Retinal thinning has been reported with an SC02 variant. Human mutation identification with support from an induced myopic animal provides biological insights of myopic development.
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Stone RA, Pardue MT, Iuvone PM, Khurana TS. Pharmacology of myopia and potential role for intrinsic retinal circadian rhythms. Exp Eye Res 2013; 114:35-47. [PMID: 23313151 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Revised: 12/22/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence and public health impact of refractive errors, the mechanisms responsible for ametropias are poorly understood. Much evidence now supports the concept that the retina is central to the mechanism(s) regulating emmetropization and underlying refractive errors. Using a variety of pharmacologic methods and well-defined experimental eye growth models in laboratory animals, many retinal neurotransmitters and neuromodulators have been implicated in this process. Nonetheless, an accepted framework for understanding the molecular and/or cellular pathways that govern postnatal eye development is lacking. Here, we review two extensively studied signaling pathways whose general roles in refractive development are supported by both experimental and clinical data: acetylcholine signaling through muscarinic and/or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and retinal dopamine pharmacology. The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist atropine was first studied as an anti-myopia drug some two centuries ago, and much subsequent work has continued to connect muscarinic receptors to eye growth regulation. Recent research implicates a potential role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; and the refractive effects in population surveys of passive exposure to cigarette smoke, of which nicotine is a constituent, support clinical relevance. Reviewed here, many puzzling results inhibit formulating a mechanistic framework that explains acetylcholine's role in refractive development. How cholinergic receptor mechanisms might be used to develop acceptable approaches to normalize refractive development remains a challenge. Retinal dopamine signaling not only has a putative role in refractive development, its upregulation by light comprises an important component of the retinal clock network and contributes to the regulation of retinal circadian physiology. During postnatal development, the ocular dimensions undergo circadian and/or diurnal fluctuations in magnitude; these rhythms shift in eyes developing experimental ametropia. Long-standing clinical ideas about myopia in particular have postulated a role for ambient lighting, although molecular or cellular mechanisms for these speculations have remained obscure. Experimental myopia induced by the wearing of a concave spectacle lens alters the retinal expression of a significant proportion of intrinsic circadian clock genes, as well as genes encoding a melatonin receptor and the photopigment melanopsin. Together this evidence suggests a hypothesis that the retinal clock and intrinsic retinal circadian rhythms may be fundamental to the mechanism(s) regulating refractive development, and that disruptions in circadian signals may produce refractive errors. Here we review the potential role of biological rhythms in refractive development. While much future research is needed, this hypothesis could unify many of the disparate clinical and laboratory observations addressing the pathogenesis of refractive errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Scheie Eye Institute, D-603 Richards Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6075, USA.
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