Expression of procollagen C-proteinase enhancer 1 in human trabecular meshwork tissues and cells

Glaucoma is a primary cause of progressive, irreversible blindness. One of the primary tissues involved in glaucoma pathology is the trabecular meshwork (TM). In glaucoma, the TM is a site of increased extracellular matrix (ECM) protein secretion, deposition, and accumulation, contributing to a disrupted TM architecture and increased resistance to the outflow of aqueous humor. The healthy TM structure is comprised of sheets and beams composed of multiple extracellular matrix proteins, including mature fibrillar collagens. In the glaucomatous eye, this structure is disrupted by the abnormal deposition of collagen fibrils and other ECM proteins in the TM. In this study, we determined whether procollagen C-proteinase enhancer 1 (PCOLCE1) - a protein typically involved in collagen fibril processing - is expressed in the human TM tissues and cells and whether its expression is altered in glaucomatous conditions. Using immunocytochemistry, qPCR, and western blot (WB) analyses, we found that PCOLCE1 is expressed and translated in human TM tissues and cells. Our data analysis suggests that PCOLCE1 expression by TM cells may be downregulated by TGFβ2 treatment, which warrants further investigation of a possible role for PCOLCE1 in glaucomatous pathology.