June 2020
Volume 61, Issue 7
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2020
Clock and circadian rhythm-related genes, visual input and ametropias in chick
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Richard A Stone
    Ophthalmology, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Wenjie Wei
    Ophthalmology, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Shanta Sarfare
    Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Brendan McGeehan
    Ophthalmology, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • K. Cameron Engelhart
    Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Tejvir S. Khurana
    Physiology, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Maureen Maguire
    Ophthalmology, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • P. Michael Iuvone
    Ophthalmology and Pharmacology, Emory Univ School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
  • Debora L Nickla
    Bioscience, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Richard Stone, None; Wenjie Wei, None; Shanta Sarfare, None; Brendan McGeehan, None; K. Cameron Engelhart, None; Tejvir Khurana, None; Maureen Maguire, None; P. Michael Iuvone, None; Debora Nickla, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  NIH R01 grants EY004864, EY013636, EY022342, EY025307, EY027711; NIH P30 grants EY001583, EY006360; Research to Prevent Blindness; Paul and Evanina Bell Mackall Foundation Trust
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2020, Vol.61, 3392. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Richard A Stone, Wenjie Wei, Shanta Sarfare, Brendan McGeehan, K. Cameron Engelhart, Tejvir S. Khurana, Maureen Maguire, P. Michael Iuvone, Debora L Nickla; Clock and circadian rhythm-related genes, visual input and ametropias in chick. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2020;61(7):3392.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose : Stimulated by evidence implicating diurnal/circadian rhythms and light in refractive development, we studied the expression over 24 hours of selected clock and circadian rhythm-related genes in retina/RPE (retinal pigment epithelium) and choroid of experimental ametropia models in chick.

Methods : Newly hatched chicks, entrained to a 12 hour light:dark cycle for 12-14 days, experienced either non-restricted vision OU or impaired vision OD from wearing an image diffusing goggle, a −10 diopter (D) lens or a +10 D lens. Starting one day later and at 4 hour intervals for 24 hours, the retina/RPE and choroid were separately dissected (n=8 chicks/time/condition). Without pooling, total RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA and assayed by qPCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) for the expression of the following circadian rhythm-related genes: Opn4m, Clock, Npas2, Per3, Cry1, Arntl and Mtnr1a. Log transformed data were modeled with Generalized Estimating Equations using expression values standardized against the mean values of OS at the time of light onset.

Results : The expression levels of each gene in retina/RPE and in choroid of eyes with intact vision OU varied over 24 hours, with equal expression levels OU for most genes and times. Visual blur or defocus altered the expression of each of these genes in complex patterns that varied by gene, time, tissue and visual input. The gene expression changes affected not only the experimental eyes with altered visual input but occasionally the contralateral eyes with non-restricted vision. Only Per3 and Arntl continued to vary by time in each tissue and under each visual condition. With altered vision, between-eye gene expression differences occurred only at particular times for specific genes and were found more often in choroid than retina/RPE, most consistently in choroid with minus lens wear.

Conclusions : On the day after initiation, visual blur or defocus known to induce ametropias also alter the retinal/RPE and choroidal expression of circadian rhythm-related genes over 24 hours, providing further evidence that visual mechanisms regulating eye growth interact with ocular circadian biology. Circadian mechanisms may provide a framework to understand refractive development and explain increasing myopia prevalence in contemporary societies where lighting patterns can desynchronize endogenous rhythms from the natural environmental light:dark cycle.

This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×