Abstract
Purpose:
To identify VEGFR-1 isoforms in the cornea of Pax6-deficient mice.
Methods:
The limbal region, central cornea and conjunctiva of Pax6 +/- mice were compared to wild type mice for the presence of VEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-1. Immunostaining was performed to wild type (n=5) and Pax6 +/- mice (n= 5) with three antibodies: one antibody to the N-terminus that detected both membrane and soluble VEGFR-1; one antibody to the C-terminus that detected the membrane bound form of VEGFR-1; and one antibody that specifically detected the soluble form of VEGFR-1. Immunoblotting was performed on protein extracts prepared separately from the cornea and conjunctiva of wild type and Pax6 +/- mice.
Results:
Immunostaining revealed that both VEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-1 are present in the cornea of both wild type and Pax6 +/- mice. Immunoblotting revealed that both VEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-1 are present in the conjunctiva and central cornea of wild type and Pax6 +/- mice. Interestingly, this analysis also revealed VEGFR-1 isoforms that appeared to be specific to Pax6 +/- corneas.
Conclusions:
Our results are in contradiction to previous reports that sVEGFR-1 is deficient in Pax6 +/- corneas. The presence of sVEGFR-1 and VEGFR-1 isoforms specific to Pax6 +/- corneas suggests that a deficiency in sVEGFR-1 is not the cause for corneal neovascularization in Pax6 +/- mice.
Keywords: 480 cornea: basic science •
482 cornea: epithelium •
609 neovascularization