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Peng X, Jia X, Shang G, Xue M, Jiang M, Chen D, Zhang F, Hu Y. The generation and characterization of a transgenic zebrafish line with lens-specific Cre expression. Mol Vis 2024; 30:123-136. [PMID: 38601019 PMCID: PMC11006009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Danio rerio zebrafish constitute a popular model for studying lens development and congenital cataracts. However, the specific deletion of a gene with a Cre/LoxP system in the zebrafish lens is unavailable because of the lack of a lens-Cre-transgenic zebrafish. This study aimed to generate a transgenic zebrafish line in which Cre recombinase was specifically expressed in the lens. Methods The pTol2 cryaa:Cre-polyA-cryaa:EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) plasmid was constructed and co-injected with Tol2-transposase into one-to-two-cell-stage wild-type (WT) zebrafish embryos. Whole-mount in situ hybridization (ISH), tissue section, hematoxylin and eosin staining, a Western blot, a split-lamp observation, and a grid transmission assay were used to analyze the Cre expression, lens structure, and lens transparency of the transgenic zebrafish. Results In this study, we generated a transgenic zebrafish line, zTg(cryaa:Cre-cryaa:EGFP), in which Cre recombinase and EGFP were driven by the lens-specific cryaa promoter. zTg(cryaa:Cre-cryaa:EGFP) began to express Cre and EGFP specifically in the lens at the 22 hpf stage, and this ectopic Cre could efficiently and specifically delete the red fluorescent protein (RFP) signal from the lens when zTg(cryaa:Cre-cryaa:EGFP) embryos were injected with the loxP-flanked RFP plasmid. The overexpression of Cre and EGFP did not impair zebrafish development or lens transparency. Accordingly, this zTg(cryaa:Cre-cryaa:EGFP) zebrafish line is a useful tool for gene editing, specifically with zebrafish lenses. Conclusions We established a zTg(cryaa:Cre-cryaa:EGFP) zebrafish line that can specifically express an active Cre recombinase in lens tissues. This transgenic zebrafish line can be used as a tool to specifically manipulate a gene in zebrafish lenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyan Peng
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Jia
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Guohui Shang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Mengjiao Xue
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Mingjun Jiang
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Dandan Chen
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Fengyan Zhang
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
| | - Yanzhong Hu
- The Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zheng Zhou, China
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Henan University School of Basic Medical Sciences. Kaifeng, China
- Kaifeng Key Lab for Cataract and Myopia, Institute of Eye Disease, Kaifeng Central Hospital, Kaifeng, China
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2
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Bedbrook CN, Nath RD, Nagvekar R, Deisseroth K, Brunet A. Rapid and precise genome engineering in a naturally short-lived vertebrate. eLife 2023; 12:80639. [PMID: 37191291 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish is a powerful vertebrate system to study complex phenotypes at scale, including aging and age-related disease. Here, we develop a rapid and precise CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in approach in the killifish. We show its efficient application to precisely insert fluorescent reporters of different sizes at various genomic loci in order to drive cell-type- and tissue-specific expression. This knock-in method should allow the establishment of humanized disease models and the development of cell-type-specific molecular probes for studying complex vertebrate biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire N Bedbrook
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Ravi D Nath
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Rahul Nagvekar
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging at Stanford, Stanford, United States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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3
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Posner M, Murray KL, Andrew B, Brdicka S, Roberts A, Franklin K, Hussen A, Kaye T, Kepp E, McDonald MS, Snodgrass T, Zientek K, David LL. Impact of α-crystallin protein loss on zebrafish lens development. Exp Eye Res 2023; 227:109358. [PMID: 36572168 PMCID: PMC9918708 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The α-crystallin small heat shock proteins contribute to the transparency and refractive properties of the vertebrate eye lens and prevent the protein aggregation that would otherwise produce lens cataracts, the leading cause of human blindness. There are conflicting data in the literature as to what role the α-crystallins may play in early lens development. In this study, we used CRISPR gene editing to produce zebrafish lines with mutations in each of the three α-crystallin genes (cryaa, cryaba and cryabb) to prevent protein production. The absence of each α-crystallin protein was analyzed by mass spectrometry, and lens phenotypes were assessed with differential interference contrast microscopy and histology. Loss of αA-crystallin produced a variety of lens defects with varying severity in larvae at 3 and 4 dpf but little substantial change in normal fiber cell denucleation. Loss of αBa-crystallin produced no substantial lens defects. Our cryabb mutant produced a truncated αBb-crystallin protein and showed no substantial change in lens development. Mutation of each α-crystallin gene did not alter the mRNA levels of the remaining two, suggesting a lack of genetic compensation. These data suggest that αA-crystallin plays some role in lens development, but the range of phenotype severity in null mutants indicates its loss simply increases the chance for defects and that the protein is not essential. Our finding that cryaba and cryabb mutants lack noticeable lens defects is congruent with insubstantial transcript levels for these genes in lens epithelial and fiber cells through five days of development. Future experiments can explore the molecular mechanisms leading to lens defects in cryaa null mutants and the impact of αA-crystallin loss during zebrafish lens aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason Posner
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA.
| | - Kelly L Murray
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Brandon Andrew
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Stuart Brdicka
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Alexis Roberts
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Kirstan Franklin
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Adil Hussen
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Taylor Kaye
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Emmaline Kepp
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Mathew S McDonald
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Tyler Snodgrass
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Keith Zientek
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, USA
| | - Larry L David
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, USA
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4
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Farnsworth DR, Posner M, Miller AC. Single cell transcriptomics of the developing zebrafish lens and identification of putative controllers of lens development. Exp Eye Res 2021; 206:108535. [PMID: 33705730 PMCID: PMC8092445 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate lens is a valuable model system for investigating the gene expression changes that coordinate tissue differentiation due to its inclusion of two spatially separated cell types, the outer epithelial cells and the deeper denucleated fiber cells that they support. Zebrafish are a useful model system for studying lens development given the organ's rapid development in the first several days of life in an accessible, transparent embryo. While we have strong foundational knowledge of the diverse lens crystallin proteins and the basic gene regulatory networks controlling lens development, no study has detailed gene expression in a vertebrate lens at single cell resolution. Here we report an atlas of lens gene expression in zebrafish embryos and larvae at single cell resolution through five days of development, identifying a number of novel putative regulators of lens development. Our data address open questions about the temperospatial expression of α-crystallins during lens development that will support future studies of their function and provide the first detailed view of β- and γ-crystallin expression in and outside the lens. We describe divergent expression in transcription factor genes that occur as paralog pairs in the zebrafish. Finally, we examine the expression dynamics of cytoskeletal, membrane associated, RNA-binding, and transcription factor genes, identifying a number of novel patterns. Overall these data provide a foundation for identifying and characterizing lens developmental regulatory mechanisms and revealing targets for future functional studies with potential therapeutic impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mason Posner
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA.
| | - Adam C Miller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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5
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Sprague-Piercy MA, Rocha MA, Kwok AO, Martin RW. α-Crystallins in the Vertebrate Eye Lens: Complex Oligomers and Molecular Chaperones. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2021; 72:143-163. [PMID: 33321054 PMCID: PMC8062273 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-090419-121428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
α-Crystallins are small heat-shock proteins that act as holdase chaperones. In humans, αA-crystallin is expressed only in the eye lens, while αB-crystallin is found in many tissues. α-Crystallins have a central domain flanked by flexible extensions and form dynamic, heterogeneous oligomers. Structural models show that both the C- and N-terminal extensions are important for controlling oligomerization through domain swapping. α-Crystallin prevents aggregation of damaged β- and γ-crystallins by binding to the client protein using a variety of binding modes. α-Crystallin chaperone activity can be compromised by mutation or posttranslational modifications, leading to protein aggregation and cataract. Because of their high solubility and their ability to form large, functional oligomers, α-crystallins are particularly amenable to structure determination by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and solution NMR, as well as cryo-electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Sprague-Piercy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA;
| | - Megan A Rocha
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Ashley O Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Rachel W Martin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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6
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Ping X, Cheng Y, Bao J, Shi K, Zou J, Shentu X. KPNA4 is involved in cataract formation via the nuclear import of p53. Gene 2021; 786:145621. [PMID: 33798680 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
KPNA4 (also called importin-α3) belongs to the importin α adaptor proteins family, which orchestrates classical nuclear transport processes, importin-α/importin-β1 pathway, and involves in cellular homeostasis. Disruption of balanced transport pathways may result in ectopic nuclear proteins and eventually cause diseases, mainly under the situation of cellular stress, such as oxidative stress. Little evidence is available on its cellular functions for high specific expression in lens. We firstly studied the role of KPNA4 in cataract formation. Lens defects were observed at an early age in kpna4 gene knockout zebrafish, generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Those phenotype, including cloudy center part of the lens, via bright field microscopy, and the thinning of the LE layer, wider space between the adjacent LE and LF cells, irregular cells morphology and the increased number of holes inside the LE cells, which were detected by transmission electron microscopy, recapitulate the clinical features of cataract patients. As the p53-specific adaptor of the nuclear import, KPNA4 upregulated with the same pattern of p53 in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in human lens epithelia cells. Furthermore, the loss of Kpna4 resulted in the accumulation of p53 in the center of lens. Taken together, we showed that KPNA4 was involved in the formation of cataract, likely by mediating p53 nuclear transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyuan Ping
- Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, China
| | - Yalan Cheng
- Ninghai First Hospital, Ningbo 315600, China
| | - Jing Bao
- Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, China
| | - Kexin Shi
- Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, China
| | - Jian Zou
- Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, China; The Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xingchao Shentu
- Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, China.
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7
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Zhang Y, Wang F, Wu F, Wang Y, Wang X, Gui Y, Li Q. Tnni1b-ECR183-d2, an 87 bp cardiac enhancer of zebrafish. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10289. [PMID: 33194440 PMCID: PMC7648457 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several heart malformations are associated with mutations in the regulatory regions of cardiac genes. Troponin I type 1b (tnni1b) is important for the formation of the atrioventricular canal in zebrafish hearts; however, the regulation of tnni1b is poorly understand. We aimed to identify a small but functional enhancer that is distal to tnni1b. Methods Evolutionary Conserved Region (ECR) Browser was used to analyze the 219 kb zebrafish and human genomes covering the tnni1b gene as well as the 100 kb regions upstream and downstream of tnni1b. Putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) were analyzed using JASPAR and PROMO, and the enhancer activity was identified using zebrafish embryos and the luciferase reporter assay. A correlation analysis between the enhancer and transcription factors (TFs) was performed via TF overexpression and TFBS mutation experiments and the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). To analyze the conservation between zebrafish and human enhancers, human DNA fragments were functionally verified. Images were captured and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy or confocal microscopy. Results Combined with comparative analysis and functional validation, we identified a 183 bp ECR (termed tnni1b-ECR183) that was located approximately 84 kb upstream of tnni1b that had the heart-specific enhancer activity in zebrafish. TFBS analysis and the enhancer activity detection assay data showed that the 87 bp core region (termed tnni1b-ECR183-d2) was capable of driving specific GFP expression near the atrioventricular junction and increased luciferase expression in HEK293 and HL1 cell lines. The GFP pattern in zebrafish embryos was similar to the expression profiles of tnni1b. A correlation analysis showed that the enhancer activity of tnni1b-ECR183-d2 was increased when NKX2.5 (p = 0.0006) or JUN (p < 0.0001) was overexpressed and was decreased when the TFBSs of NKX2.5 (p < 0.0001) or JUN (p = 0.0018) were mutated. In addition, DNA-protein interactions were not observed between these TFs and tnni1b-ECR183-d2 in the EMSA experiment. The conservation analysis showed that tnni1b-ECR183-h179 (aligned from tnni1b-ECR183) drove GFP expression in the heart and skeletal muscles and increased the luciferase expression after NKX2.5 (p < 0.0001), JUN (p < 0.0001) or ETS1 (p < 0.0001) was overexpressed. Interestingly, the truncated fragment tnni1b-ECR183-h84 mainly drove GFP expression in the skeletal muscles of zebrafish and the enhancer activity decreased when NKX2.5 (p = 0.0028), ETS1 (p = 0.0001) or GATA4 (p < 0.0001) was overexpressed. Conclusions An 87 bp cardiac-specific enhancer located 84 kb upstream of tnni1b in zebrafish was positively correlated with NKX2.5 or JUN. The zebrafish and human enhancers in this study target different tissues. The GFP expression mediated by tnni1b-ECR183-d2 is a valuable tool for marking the domain around the atrioventricular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Wu
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Youhua Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonghao Gui
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Why does the zebrafish cloche mutant develop lens cataract? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211399. [PMID: 30861003 PMCID: PMC6413905 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish has become a valuable model for examining ocular lens development, physiology and disease. The zebrafish cloche mutant, first described for its loss of hematopoiesis, also shows reduced eye and lens size, interruption in lens cell differentiation and a cataract likely caused by abnormal protein aggregation. To facilitate the use of the cloche mutant for studies on cataract development and prevention we characterized variation in the lens phenotype, quantified changes in gene expression by qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq and compared the ability of two promoters to drive expression of introduced proteins into the cloche lens. We found that the severity of cloche embryo lens cataract varied, while the decrease in lens diameter and retention of nuclei in differentiating lens fiber cells was constant. We found very low expression of both αB-crystallin genes (cryaba and cryabb) at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) by both qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq in cloche, cloche sibling and wildtype embryos and no significant difference in αA-crystallin (cryaa) expression. RNA-Seq analysis of 4 dpf embryos identified transcripts from 25,281 genes, with 1,329 showing statistically significantly different expression between cloche and wildtype samples. Downregulation of eight lens β- and γM-crystallin genes and 22 retinal related genes may reflect a general reduction in eye development and growth. Six stress response genes were upregulated. We did not find misregulation of any known components of lens development gene regulatory networks. These results suggest that the cloche lens cataract is not caused by loss of αA-crystallin or changes to lens gene regulatory networks. Instead, we propose that the cataract results from general physiological stress related to loss of hematopoiesis. Our finding that the zebrafish αA-crystallin promoter drove strong GFP expression in the cloche lens demonstrates its use as a tool for examining the effects of introduced proteins on lens crystallin aggregation and cataract prevention.
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9
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Quantifying protein dynamics and stability in a living organism. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1179. [PMID: 30862837 PMCID: PMC6414637 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09088-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As an integral part of modern cell biology, fluorescence microscopy enables quantification of the stability and dynamics of fluorescence-labeled biomolecules inside cultured cells. However, obtaining time-resolved data from individual cells within a live vertebrate organism remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a customized pipeline that integrates meganuclease-mediated mosaic transformation with fluorescence-detected temperature-jump microscopy to probe dynamics and stability of endogenously expressed proteins in different tissues of living multicellular organisms.
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10
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Zhao Y, Wilmarth PA, Cheng C, Limi S, Fowler VM, Zheng D, David LL, Cvekl A. Proteome-transcriptome analysis and proteome remodeling in mouse lens epithelium and fibers. Exp Eye Res 2019; 179:32-46. [PMID: 30359574 PMCID: PMC6360118 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cells and differentiated fiber cells represent distinct compartments in the ocular lens. While previous studies have revealed proteins that are preferentially expressed in epithelial vs. fiber cells, a comprehensive proteomics library comparing the molecular compositions of epithelial vs. fiber cells is essential for understanding lens formation, function, disease and regenerative potential, and for efficient differentiation of pluripotent stem cells for modeling of lens development and pathology in vitro. To compare protein compositions between the lens epithelium and fibers, we employed tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC/MS) analysis of microdissected mouse P0.5 lenses. Functional classifications of the top 525 identified proteins into gene ontology categories by molecular processes and subcellular localizations, were adapted for the lens. Expression levels of both epithelial and fiber proteomes were compared with whole lens proteome and mRNA levels using E14.5, E16.5, E18.5, and P0.5 RNA-Seq data sets. During this developmental time window, multiple complex biosynthetic and catabolic processes generate the molecular and structural foundation for lens transparency. As expected, crystallins showed a high correlation between their mRNA and protein levels. Comprehensive data analysis confirmed and/or predicted roles for transcription factors (TFs), RNA-binding proteins (e.g. Carhsp1), translational apparatus including ribosomal heterogeneity and initiation factors, microtubules, cytoskeletal [e.g. non-muscle myosin IIA heavy chain (Myh9) and βB2-spectrin (Sptbn2)] and membrane proteins in lens formation and maturation. Our data highlighted many proteins with unknown functions in the lens that were preferentially enriched in epithelium or fibers, setting the stage for future studies to further dissect the roles of these proteins in fiber cell differentiation vs. epithelial cell maintenance. In conclusion, the present proteomic datasets represent the first mouse lens epithelium and fiber cell proteomes, establish comparative analyses of protein and RNA-Seq data, and characterize the major proteome remodeling required to form the mature lens fiber cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Zhao
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Catherine Cheng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Saima Limi
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Velia M Fowler
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Larry L David
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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