Lenses expression profile of DBL oncogene transgenic mice

The Dbl family of proteins represents a large group of proto-oncogenes involved in cell growth regulation. Alterations of the normal function of these proteins lead to pathological processes such as developmental disorders and neoplastic transformation. We have generated transgenic mice introducing the onco-Dbl cDNA sequences linked to the metallothionein promoter into the germ line of FVB mice and found that onco-Dbl expression affected proliferation, migration and differentiation of lens epithelial cells. We used high density oligonucleotide microarray to define the transcriptional profile induced by Dbl in the lenses of transgenic mice and observed modulation of genes encoding proteins promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, genes encoding proteins involved in the positive regulation of apoptosis were markedly down regulated while anti-apoptotic genes were strongly up-regulated. Finally, several genes encoding proteins involved in the process of angiogenesis were up-regulated. These observations were validated by histological and immunohistochemical examination of the transgenic lenses, where vascularization can be readily observed. Thus, onco-Dbl expression in mouse lenses induces disruption of the lens architecture, epithelial cell proliferation, EMT, evasion from cell death, and aberrant angiogenesis. Whole lenses were removed from 2, 14, and 42 day old Dbl transgenic and wild type mice. 4 to 8 individual lenses were pooled . Three independent pools from each time and condition were used as replicates.