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2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Elucidation of gene regulation mechanism by which corneal epithelial cells achieve their specific differeatiation status, especially those regarding to corneal epithelial cell-specific transcription factor

Research Project

Project/Area Number 18390472
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Ophthalmology
Research InstitutionKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

Principal Investigator

KINOSHITA Shigeru  Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Ophthalmology, Professor (30116024)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) KAWASAKI Satoshi  Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Ophthalmology, Research Associate (60347458)
Project Period (FY) 2006 – 2007
Keywordskeratin 12 / methylation / CpG island / transcription factor / epigenetics
Research Abstract

Keratin 12 is a gene that is specifically expressed in corneal epithelial cells. In this study, we investigated whether such a tissue-specific expression is controlled by the genomic methylation status. First, we evaluated keratin 12 gene expression among various types of human keratinocyte cells. As has been reported by many researchers, keratin 12 was only expressed in in vivo corneal epithelial cells. Surprisingly and notably, subcultured primary human corneal epithelial cells (hCEC) and immortalized hCEC did not express keratin 12. We then treated the immortalized hCEC by 5-aza-cytidine, a demethylation agent and TSA, a histone deacetylase inhibitor to see whether such a tissue-specific gene expression of keratin 12 involved an epigenetic gene regulation mechanism. We subsequently discovered that those cells express keratin 12. Next, we performed bisulfite sequencing analysis to see the methylation status of keratin 12 among various kinds of in vivo keratinocyte cells. As a result, we found that keratin 12 was in the hypomethylated status in in vivo corneal epithelial cells, while other keratinocyte cells exhibited hypermethylation of keratin 12. Also, the subcultured primary hCEC (P6, P7, and P8) and the immortalized hCEC exhibited hypermethylation of keratin 12. We then tested the hypothesis that the culture process may affect the genomic methylation status. We performed repeated culture of hCEC from in vivo to P6 and subjected each of these cells to bisulfite sequencing analysis. We found that the keratin-12 methylation rate was gradually increased by the number of passage. Finally, we evaluated the methylation status of the limbal basal epithelial cells, which have been reported to contain the stem cells of the corneal epithelial cells: We found that keratin 12 was in the hypermethylated status in these cells, suggesting that keratin 12 may be demethylated when the limbal basal cells are differentiated into corneal epithelial cells.

  • Research Products

    (8 results)

All 2007 2006

All Journal Article (6 results) (of which Peer Reviewed: 3 results) Presentation (2 results)

  • [Journal Article] Establishment of a cultivated human conjunctival epithelium as an alternative tissue source for autologous corneal epithelial transplantation2006

    • Author(s)
      Tanioka H., Kawasaki S., Yamasaki K., Ang L.P., Koizumi N., Nakamura T., Yokoi N., Komuro A., Inatomi T., Kinoshita S.
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 47

      Pages: 3820-3827

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] Unique distribution of thrombospondin-1 in human ocular surface epithelium2006

    • Author(s)
      Sekiyama E., Nakamura T., Cooper L.J., Kawasaki S., Hamuro J., Fullwood N.J., Kinoshita S.
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 47

      Pages: 1352-1358

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] Clusters of corneal epithelial cells reside ectopically in human conjunctsval epithelium2006

    • Author(s)
      Kawasaki S., Tanioka H., Yamasaki K., Yokoi N., Komuro A., Kinoshita S.
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 47

      Pages: 1359-1367

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] Establishment of a cultivated human conjunctival epit helium as an alternative tissue source for autologous come al epithelial transplantation2006

    • Author(s)
      Tanioka, H., Kawasaki, S., Yamasaki, K., Ang L.P., Koizumi, N., Nakamura, T., Yokoi, N., Komuro, A., Inatomi, T., Kinoshita, S
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47

      Pages: 3820-3827

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Unique distribution of thrombospondin 1 in human ocular surface epithelium2006

    • Author(s)
      Sekiyama, K, Nakamura, T., Cooper, LJ., Kawasaki, S., Hamum, J., Fuallwood Kinoshita, S
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47

      Pages: 1352-1358

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Clusters of corneal epithelial m11 s reside ectopica]ly in human conjunctival epithelium2006

    • Author(s)
      Kawasaki, S., Tanioka, H., Yamasald, K, Yokoi, N, Komum, A, Kmoshita, S
    • Journal Title

      Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47

      Pages: 1359-1367

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Presentation] Corneal epithelial stem cells and differentiation2007

    • Author(s)
      木下 茂
    • Organizer
      ARVO Ocular Cell and Molecular Biology Confererence
    • Place of Presentation
      USA、サラソタ
    • Year and Date
      2007-09-06
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Presentation] Corneal epithelial stem cells and differentiation2007

    • Author(s)
      Kinoshita, S
    • Organizer
      ARVO Ocular Cell and Molecular Biology Conference
    • Place of Presentation
      Sarasota, USA
    • Year and Date
      2007-09-06
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2010-02-04  

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