Transcriptional profiles along cell programming into corneal epithelial differentiation

Corneal epithelial RCE1(5T5) cells follow a sequential process that leads to the formation of a 4-5 layered stratified epithelium with a gene expression pattern similar to that shown in primary cultures of corneal epithelial cells. We have identified three different developmental stages during the differentiation of the rabbit corneal epithelial cell line RCE1(5T5), and thus, analyzed the transcriptome of such different stages in order to understand the regulation of the corneal epithelial cell differentiation. This analysis has led to identify the global expression of gene signatures associated to such differentiation stages. Overall design: We obtained the transcriptome of three samples of rabbit corneal epithelium formed by RCE1(5T5) cells at distinct stages of the differentiation program.