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Updated: Oct 11, 2026

Isolation and Identification of Limbal Niche Cells
Published on: October 27, 2023
Ets family transcription factor ESE-1 is expressed in corneal epithelial cells and is involved in their
N Yoshida1, S Yoshida, M Araie
1Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan.
Abstract:
Involvement of an epithelium-specific transcription factor ESE-1/ESX/ELF3/jen (ESE-1) in corneal epithelial cell differentiation was investigated. ESE-1 was reported to be induced during terminal differentiation of the epidermis and primary keratinocytes and to transactivate target genes through ets binding sites. However, its expression and function in corneal epithelium have not been examined. We report here that ESE-1 is upregulated upon differentiation in mouse corneal epithelium and in immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCE). ESE-1 transactivates through the regulatory element of cornea-specific K12 keratin. Moreover, introduction of ESE-1 antisense RNA in HCE cells affect their differentiation. These data suggest the involvement of ESE-1 in differentiation of corneal epithelial cells.
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