Tropoelastin gene expression in optic nerve heads of normal and glaucomatous subjects

Elastic fibers are a major component of the extracellular matrix in the optic nerve head (ONH) and undergo marked morphological changes during primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Previous findings indicated that there is reactivation of tropoelastin mRNA synthesis in glaucoma. In this study, we sought to determine the alternative splicing pattern of tropoelastin in the human optic nerve head and in cultured laminar astrocytes. Furthermore, we compared the alternative splicing pattern of normal elastogenesis with that of reactivation of elastin synthesis in patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Our results demonstrate that exons 23 and 32 of tropoelastin are alternatively spliced in the normal ONH as well as in tissue from glaucomatous patients. There are no qualitative differences. We also demonstrated that astrocytes from the ONH synthesize tropoelastin in vitro. In conclusion, we have demonstrated a tropoelastin alternative splicing pattern in the human optic nerve head and laminar astrocytes. Abnormalities in elastic fibers in the ONH of patients with POAG are not due to an aberrant splice variant of tropoelastin. Astrocytes grown from ONH explants may serve as an in vitro model to study extracellular matrix changes in glaucoma.