Microarray analysis of changes in gene expression within the amacrine cell layer of chicks following optical defocus

Ocular growth is regulated locally by signals produced in the retina that ultimately act on the growth of the scleral tissue. Consequently, a number of studies have investigated changes in retinal gene expression during manipulation of ocular growth in an attempt to elucidate the biochemical pathways underlying eye growth. However, due to the highly heterogenous nature of the retina, important changes in gene expression can be masked. Therefore, this study has investigated changes in gene expression specifically within the retinal amacrine cell layer, the most likely generator of growth signals, during manipulations of ocular growth. Chicks were monocularly treated with either -7D (n=3, growth stimulant) or +7D (n=3, growth suppressant) lenses for 24hrs, with untreated age-matched chicks serving as a control (n=3). Total RNA from the amacrine cell layer was isolated from laser-capture microdissected (Zeiss, Bernried, Germany) 10µm thick sections. Labeled cRNA was prepared from three separate samples per condition and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Chicken Genome arrays.