Open-Field Blast Injury Disrupts Corneal Gene Expression Linked to Ion Transport, Sensory Perception, and Neural...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Vision Science
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Open-field blast injury (OFBI) is a significant cause of vision loss.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying OFBI-induced corneal damage is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the comprehensive changes in the corneal transcriptome, signaling pathways, and protein-protein interactions following OFBI using RNA sequencing.
• To identify key genes and pathways disrupted by OFBI that contribute to vision impairment.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on corneas from C57BL/6J mice subjected to OFBI.
• Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis, pathway enrichment analysis (GO, KEGG, Reactome), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were employed.
• Gene expression data were analyzed using HISAT2 and DESeq2, with PPI networks visualized using STRING and Cytoscape.

Main Results:

• A total of 2860 differentially expressed genes (DGEs) were identified in OFBI-exposed corneas.
• Significant pathway enrichments included ion channel activity, membrane potential regulation, sensory perception, and neurotransmitter signaling.
• Key genes involved in neuronal signaling and sensory functions, such as Grik2, Gabrg3, Drd2, Gabrr1, Gabra2, and Drd4, were downregulated 14 days post-OFBI.

Conclusions:

• OFBI induces substantial alterations in the corneal transcriptome.
• These transcriptomic changes critically affect ion channel activity, sensory perception, and neurotransmitter signaling pathways.
• The findings provide a molecular basis for understanding OFBI-induced vision loss and suggest potential therapeutic targets.