CROSS-LINKED ACTIN NETWORKS (CLANs) ARE PRESENT IN LAMINA CRIBROSA CELLS.

Raly Job (1) , Vignesh Raja (1) , Ian Grierson (1) , Laura Currie (1) , Steven O'Reilly (1) , Natalie Pollock (1) , Emma Knight (1) , Abbot F Clark (2)

1 University of Liverpool
2 Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy and the North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North

Aims: A study was undertaken to determine and compare the F-actin staining patterns in the cells of the lamina cribrosa (LC) of normal, Dexamethasone (DEX) treated and glaucomatous dissected tissue and cell cultures. Methods: Around 30 dissected donor eyes and 9 cell lines provided the human specimens and 25 eyes and 20 primary cell cultures provided the bovine material. Appropriate samples were exposed to 10-7M DEX for up to 14 days. LC tissue and cells were stained with Phalloidin-Alexa 488 to identify F-actin and all samples were examined by confocal or epifluorescent microscopy. Results: Both in the LC tissue and LC cell cultures the dominant actin arrangement was bundles of stress fibres. However cross-linked actin networks (CLANs) were identified in the tissue and in culture. These were markedly increased by steroid treatment and were particularly large and abundant in cultures from glaucoma donors. CLANs were not associated with optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs). Conclusions: The presence of abundant stress fibres in situ and in vitro highlights the biomechanical contribution of LC cells. However that we have identified CLANs in these cells shows that they are not exclusive to the trabecular meshwork, the only other place they have been found, and may have a role in glaucoma pathology.

Mots clés: Optic Nerve; Intraocular pressure

Raly Job, Vignesh Raja, Ian Grierson, Laura Currie, Steven O'Reilly, et al.. CROSS-LINKED ACTIN NETWORKS (CLANs) ARE PRESENT IN LAMINA CRIBROSA CELLS.. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2010, 94 (10), pp.1388. ⟨10.1136/bjo.2009.176032⟩. ⟨hal-00563606⟩