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Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Metlapally, R; Gonzalez, P; Hawthorne, FA; Tran-Viet, K-N; Wildsoet, CF; Young, TL
Published in: PLoS One
2013

INTRODUCTION: In human eyes, ocular enlargement/growth reflects active extracellular matrix remodeling of the outer scleral shell. Micro-RNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by base pairing with target sequences. They serve as nodes of signaling networks. We hypothesized that the sclera, like most tissues, expresses micro-RNAs, some of which modulate genes regulating ocular growth. In this study, the scleral micro-RNA expression profile of rapidly growing human fetal eyes was compared with that of stable adult donor eyes using high-throughput microarray and quantitative PCR analyses. METHODS: Scleral samples from normal human fetal (24 wk) and normal adult donor eyes were obtained (n=4 to 6, each group), and RNA extracted. Genome-wide micro-RNA profiling was performed using the Agilent micro-RNA microarray platform. Micro-RNA target predictions were obtained using Microcosm, TargetScan and PicTar algorithms. TaqMan® micro-RNA assays targeting micro-RNAs showing either highest significance, detection, or fold differences, and collagen specificity, were applied to scleral samples from posterior and peripheral ocular regions (n=7, each group). Microarray data were analyzed using R, and quantitative PCR data with 2^-deltaCt methods. RESULTS: Human sclera was found to express micro-RNAs, and comparison of microarray results for adult and fetal samples revealed many to be differentially expressed (p<0.01, min p= 6.5x10(11)). Specifically, fetal sclera showed increased expression of mir-214, let-7c, let-7e, mir-103, mir-107, and mir-98 (1.5 to 4 fold changes, p<0.01). However, no significant regionally specific differences .i.e., posterior vs. peripheral sclera, were observed for either adult or fetal samples. CONCLUSION: For the first time, micro-RNA expression has been catalogued in human sclera. Some micro-RNAs show age-related differential regulation, higher in the sclera of rapidly growing fetal eyes, consistent with a role in ocular growth regulation. Thus micro-RNAs represent potential targets for ocular growth manipulation, related to myopia and/or other disorders such as scleral ectasia.

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Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2013

Volume

8

Issue

10

Start / End Page

e78984

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sclera
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Middle Aged
  • MicroRNAs
  • Male
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Fetus
 

Citation

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Metlapally, R., Gonzalez, P., Hawthorne, F. A., Tran-Viet, K.-N., Wildsoet, C. F., & Young, T. L. (2013). Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes. PLoS One, 8(10), e78984. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078984
Metlapally, Ravikanth, Pedro Gonzalez, Felicia A. Hawthorne, Khanh-Nhat Tran-Viet, Christine F. Wildsoet, and Terri L. Young. “Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes.PLoS One 8, no. 10 (2013): e78984. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078984.
Metlapally R, Gonzalez P, Hawthorne FA, Tran-Viet K-N, Wildsoet CF, Young TL. Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes. PLoS One. 2013;8(10):e78984.
Metlapally, Ravikanth, et al. “Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes.PLoS One, vol. 8, no. 10, 2013, p. e78984. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078984.
Metlapally R, Gonzalez P, Hawthorne FA, Tran-Viet K-N, Wildsoet CF, Young TL. Scleral micro-RNA signatures in adult and fetal eyes. PLoS One. 2013;8(10):e78984.

Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2013

Volume

8

Issue

10

Start / End Page

e78984

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sclera
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Middle Aged
  • MicroRNAs
  • Male
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Fetus