Journal
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
Volume 47, Issue 6, Pages 2408-2416Publisher
ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.05-0745
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Funding
- NEI NIH HHS [R01-EY00933, P30-EY06360] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDDK NIH HHS [R01 DK72564, DK64399, R01 DK61379] Funding Source: Medline
- NIGMS NIH HHS [T32 GM008169] Funding Source: Medline
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PURPOSE. The ultrastructure of tight junctions in the corneal endothelium has been studied extensively, yet little is known about their molecular composition. Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) is a tight junction-associated adhesion protein previously implicated in tight junction assembly and regulation of barrier function. In this study, we sought to investigate the expression and function of JAM-A in the corneal endothelium. METHODS. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy was used to investigate expression of JAM-A and the related proteins JAM-C, CAR, and AF-6 in the rabbit corneal endothelium. Corneal endothelial perfusion specular microscopy was then used to test the effects of antibodies to JAM-A on corneal swelling. RESULTS. The expression of JAM-A was observed in the tight junctions of rabbit corneal endothelium in a localization pattern identical with that of ZO-1, a known marker of the tight junction and binding partner of JAM-A. Expression of related proteins JAM-C and CAR (Coxsackie and adenovirus receptor) was also observed in the corneal endothelium, but their distribution was diffuse and not limited to the tight junction. Expression of AF-6, a known binding partner of JAM-A, was also observed in the tight junction in a pattern similar to ZO-1. Last, functional experiments were performed in which a monoclonal antibody to JAM-A was shown to increase rabbit corneal swelling by 63% compared with the control. CONCLUSIONS. The results provide new evidence that JAM-A and its binding partner AF-6 are expressed in tight junctions of the corneal endothelium and that JAM-A has a major role in maintaining the corneal endothelial barrier function.
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