Retinal ganglion cells downregulate gene expression and lose their axons within the optic nerve head in a mouse glaucoma model. 2008

Ileana Soto, and Ericka Oglesby, and Brian P Buckingham, and Janice L Son, and Elisha D O Roberson, and Michael R Steele, and Denise M Inman, and Monica L Vetter, and Philip J Horner, and Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong
Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.

Little is known about molecular changes occurring within retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) before their death in glaucoma. Taking advantage of the fact that gamma-synuclein (Sncg) mRNA is expressed specifically and highly in adult mouse RGCs, we show in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma that there is not only a loss of cells expressing this gene, but also a downregulation of gene expression of Sncg and many other genes within large numbers of RGCs. This downregulation of gene expression within RGCs occurs together with reductions in FluoroGold (FG) retrograde transport. Surprisingly, there are also large numbers of Sncg-expressing cells without any FG labeling, and among these many that have a marker previously associated with disconnected RGCs, accumulation of phosphorylated neurofilaments in their somas. These same diseased retinas also have large numbers of RGCs that maintain the intraocular portion while losing the optic nerve portion of their axons, and these disconnected axons terminate within the optic nerve head. Our data support the view that RGC degeneration in glaucoma has two separable stages: the first involves atrophy of RGCs, whereas the second involves an insult to axons, which causes the degeneration of axon portions distal to the optic nerve head but does not cause the immediate degeneration of intraretinal portions of axons or the immediate death of RGCs.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008810 Mice, Inbred C57BL One of the first INBRED MOUSE STRAINS to be sequenced. This strain is commonly used as genetic background for transgenic mouse models. Refractory to many tumors, this strain is also preferred model for studying role of genetic variations in development of diseases. Mice, C57BL,Mouse, C57BL,Mouse, Inbred C57BL,C57BL Mice,C57BL Mice, Inbred,C57BL Mouse,C57BL Mouse, Inbred,Inbred C57BL Mice,Inbred C57BL Mouse
D008811 Mice, Inbred DBA An inbred strain of mouse. Specific substrains are used in a variety of areas of BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH such as DBA/1J, which is used as a model for RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. Mice, DBA,Mouse, DBA,Mouse, Inbred DBA,DBA Mice,DBA Mice, Inbred,DBA Mouse,DBA Mouse, Inbred,Inbred DBA Mice,Inbred DBA Mouse
D009410 Nerve Degeneration Loss of functional activity and trophic degeneration of nerve axons and their terminal arborizations following the destruction of their cells of origin or interruption of their continuity with these cells. The pathology is characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases. Often the process of nerve degeneration is studied in research on neuroanatomical localization and correlation of the neurophysiology of neural pathways. Neuron Degeneration,Degeneration, Nerve,Degeneration, Neuron,Degenerations, Nerve,Degenerations, Neuron,Nerve Degenerations,Neuron Degenerations
D009419 Nerve Tissue Proteins Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D009898 Optic Disk The portion of the optic nerve seen in the fundus with the ophthalmoscope. It is formed by the meeting of all the retinal ganglion cell axons as they enter the optic nerve. Blind Spot,Optic Disc,Optic Nerve Head,Optic Papilla,Blind Spots,Disc, Optic,Disk, Optic,Head, Optic Nerve,Nerve Head, Optic,Optic Discs,Optic Disks,Optic Nerve Heads,Optic Papillas,Papilla, Optic,Papillas, Optic,Spot, Blind
D004195 Disease Models, Animal Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases. Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D005901 Glaucoma An ocular disease, occurring in many forms, having as its primary characteristics an unstable or a sustained increase in the intraocular pressure which the eye cannot withstand without damage to its structure or impairment of its function. The consequences of the increased pressure may be manifested in a variety of symptoms, depending upon type and severity, such as excavation of the optic disk, hardness of the eyeball, corneal anesthesia, reduced visual acuity, seeing of colored halos around lights, disturbed dark adaptation, visual field defects, and headaches. (Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed) Glaucomas
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001369 Axons Nerve fibers that are capable of rapidly conducting impulses away from the neuron cell body. Axon

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