The Role of Heat Shock Protein 27 and Signal Transduction Pathway of its Phosphorylation in Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the role of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and signal transduction pathway of its phosphorylation in the wound healing of cultured corneal epithelial cells.

Methods: study 1) The scramble small interfering RNA (siRNA) and siRNA against the HSP27 were created. The cultured corneal epithelial cells were divided into two groups: scramble siRNA-treated group vs. siRNA-HSP27-treated group. Scratch-induced directional wounding assay and flow cytometry were performed to know the role of HSP27. Study 2) the cultured corneal epithelial cells were wounded by the scratch. As time passed, the expression of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated HSP27, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and MAPK/Erk were evaluated using the Western blotting assay.

Results: the siRNA against the HSP27 effectively blocked the expression of non-phosphorylated HSP27. In scratch-induced directional wounding assay, siRNA-HSP27-treated group showed the delayed epithelial migration. Flow cytometry showed siRNA-HSP27-treated group had more apoptotic cell death. In Western blotting, the p38 MAPK was immediately phosphorylated, folling the HSP27 expression after epithelial wounding.

Conclusions: The role of HSP27 in corneal epithelial wound healing can be anti-apoptosis as well as migration. The p38 MAPK can be involved in HSP27 phosphorylation in corneal epithelial wound healing.

Keywords: 482 cornea: epithelium