Presence and distribution of 14-3-3 proteins in human ocular surface tissues

14-3-3 is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed family of proteins. At least seven mammalian isoforms (beta, epsilon, gamma, eta, theta, sigma, and zeta) are known. These proteins associate with over 200 different target molecules and activate several downstream signaling cascades involved in the regulation of metabolism, cell cycle, apoptosis, protein trafficking, transcription, stress responses, and malignant transformations. We are interested in the role of these proteins in the mechanisms regulating homeostasis and the pathologies of the human ocular surface. Therefore, our purpose is to determine the expression of the 14-3-3 proteins in the human cornea, the conjunctiva, and the primary cells comprising these tissues.

Using immunofluorescence, we determined the expression of 14-3-3 beta, epsilon, gamma, eta, theta, sigma, and zeta in paraffin sections of the human cornea and conjunctiva. Using indirect immunofluorescence and western blot analysis, we also determined the expression of these isoforms in primary corneal epithelial cells, keratocytes, endothelial cells, and primary conjunctival epithelial cells. The expressions of these isoforms in primary epithelial and endothelial cells were compared with the same expressions in several corneal cell lines. Western blot analysis was used to determine the presence of 14-3-3 isoforms in the culture medium from corneal epithelial cells, cell lines, and the tear fluid.

All the 14-3-3 isoforms were expressed in the corneal and conjunctival epithelia as well as primary epithelial cells and cell lines. Expression of 14-3-3 sigma was confined to epithelial cells and was secreted into the culture medium of primary cells and cell lines. We also report for the first time that two of the secreted isoforms, 14-3-3 gamma and zeta, are also present in the human tear fluid.

We have determined that all the mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms are expressed in the human cornea, conjunctiva, and the component cells and that the 14-3-3 sigma isoform was found to be epithelial cell specific. We propose that the intracellular and extracellular presence of 14-3-3 sigma suggest its involvement in the epithelia specific signaling pathways.