Pax6 Sumoylation Is Enhanced In Cataract Lenses

Abstract

Purpose : Our recent study revealed that SUMO1-mediated sumoylation is an indispensable step towards activation of p32 Pax-6, a master regulator of eye and brain development (Yan et al. 2010. PNAS). However, whether Pax6 sumoylation is altered during lens pathogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we have examined Pax6 sumoylation status from patient cataract lenses.

Methods : Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to detect Pax6 sumoylation status in the cataract lenses from patents.

Results : Compared with the normal transparent lenses, the cataract lenses from different patients have strong 32 kd Pax6 expression. The 48 kd Pax6 is also present. In contrast, the 46 kd Pax6 is largely sumoylated, In addition, a partial 32 kd Pax6 is also sumoylated.

Conclusions : Sumoylation pattern of Pax6 is changed during lens pathogenesis. [Supported by the grant (No. 81570824) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Research Prevent Blindness to UNMC, and the Fundamental Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, and the Graduate Scholarship from Sun Yat-sen University]

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.