Alteration of cornea thickness by modifying component of corneal extracellular matrix

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15739
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University
• Principal Investigator: AKAMA Tomoya 関西医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10548788)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外マトリックス / ケラタン硫酸 / ノックアウトマウス / 糖転移酵素 / 硫酸転移酵素 / 糖分解酵素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To alter corneal thickness by modifying component of corneal extracellular matrix, we investigated effect of gene suppression, which is important for corneal keratan sulfate glycosaminoglycan production, on the corneal tissue in mice. We analyzed corneal phenotype of systemic B3gnt7-knockout mice, which lack expression of the rate-limiting enzyme for corneal keratan sulfate production, and found that the homozygous mutant mice have thinner cornea. For establishing of stage-specific gene suppression of B3gnt7 in adult mouse cornea, we produced B3gnt7-flox mice. For induction of Cre-recombinase activity at adult stage, we optimized OHT treatment procedure on live mouse cornea.
We also cloned keratanase-II, which is a bacterial glycosidase that hydrolyzes keratan sulfate, and determined its minimum active domain of the enzyme.

Free Research Field

糖鎖生物学