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A transient expression of alpha B-crystallin in the developing rat retinal pigment epithelium
S Nishikawa1, S Ishiguro, K Kato
1Department of Opthalmology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai.
Purpose:
To investigate the expression of alpha B-crystallin in the developing rat retina by immunohistochemical techniques.
Methods:
Rat eyes were enucleated on embryonic day 18 and on postnatal days 1, 4, 9, 15, 19, and 90. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was applied to show alpha B-crystallin immunostaining. After the cornea and lens were removed, the developing rat eyeballs were solubilized by 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to detect alpha B-crystallin in the extracts.
Results:
From postnatal day 4 to postnatal day 9, alpha B-crystallin was present in retinal pigment epithelium, but it disappeared after postnatal day 15. alpha A-crystallin immunoreactivity was negative in retina and retinal pigment epithelium throughout development. The results of Western blot analysis and ELISA coincided with those of the immunostaining.
Conclusions:
These results show that retinal pigment epithelium in mammalian rat retina demonstrates alpha B-crystallin expression in the early developmental stages but loses it after 15 days of age.