| Experiment Id | E-GEOD-44101 | Series Id | GSE44101 |
| Name | Expression data from Spdef +/+ and Spdef -/- mice | Experiment Type | transcription profiling by array |
| Study Type | WT vs. Mutant | Source | ArrayExpress |
| Curation Date | 2019-02-05 |
| description | Goblet cell numbers decrease within the conjunctival epithelium in drying and cicatrizing ocular surface diseases. Factors regulating goblet cell differentiation in conjunctival epithelium are unknown. Recent data indicate that the transcription factor SAM-pointed domain epithelial-specific transcription factor (Spdef) is essential for goblet cell differentiation in tracheobronchial and gastrointestinal epithelium of mice. Using Spdef -/- mice, we determined that Spdef is required for conjunctival goblet cell differentiation and that Spdef -/- mice, which lack conjunctival goblet cells, have significantly increased corneal surface fluorescein staining and tear volume, a phenotype consistent with dry eye. Microarray analysis of conjunctival epithelium in Spdef -/- mice identified 43 signficantly upregulated genes and 110 signficantly downregulated genes in the conjunctival epithelium of Spdef -/- mice compared to that of Spdef +/+ control mice (3 fold change, p<0.01). Downregulated genes of particular interested included goblet cell-specific genes (Muc5ac, Tff1, Gcnt3). Upregulated genes included epithelial cell differentiation/keratinization genes (Sprr2h, Tgm1) and pro-inflammatory genes (Il1-alpha, Il-1beta, Tnf-apha), all of which are upregulated in dry eye. Interestingly, four Wnt pathway genes were downregulated. Conjunctival epithelium of Spdef +/+ and Spdef -/- mice was collected by laser capture microdissection for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays to determine if gene expression patterns in the conjunctival epithelium of Spdef -/- mice is altered compared to that of Spdef +/+ mice. |
