Smarce1 and Tensin 4 Are Putative Modulators of Corneoscleral Stiffness

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Elizabeth M Boazak, Emory University; Rebecca King, Emory University; Jiaxing Wang, Emory University; Cassandra M Chu, Emory University; Aaron M Toporek, Emory University; Joseph M Sherwood, Imperial College London; Darryl R Overby, Imperial College London; Eldon Geisert Jr, Emory University; Christopher Ethier, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-02-05
• Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7902041/bin/Data_Sheet_1.docx
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.596154
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Volume: 9
• Start Page: 596154
• End Page: 596154
• Grant/Funding Information: Support for this work came from the National Eye Institute [5R01EY025286 (CE) and 1R21EY02668 (CE, DO, and EG)], The Georgia Research Alliance (CE), Owens Family Glaucoma Research Fund (EG), and P30EY06360 (Emory Vision Core).
• Keywords: Multidisciplinary Sciences; corneal stiffness; glaucoma; myopia; ocular compliance; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; scleral stiffness; Science & Technology - Other Topics; mechanical properties; Science & Technology; Smarce1; Tensin 4; Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
• Research Categories: Engineering, Mechanical; Engineering, Biomedical

Abstract

The biomechanical properties of the cornea and sclera are important in the onset and progression of multiple ocular pathologies and vary substantially between individuals, yet the source of this variation remains unknown. Here we identify genes putatively regulating corneoscleral biomechanical tissue properties by conducting high-fidelity ocular compliance measurements across the BXD recombinant inbred mouse set and performing quantitative trait analysis. We find seven cis-eQTLs and non-synonymous SNPs associating with ocular compliance, and show by RT-qPCR and immunolabeling that only two of the candidate genes, Smarce1 and Tns4, showed significant expression in corneal and scleral tissues. Both have mechanistic potential to influence the development and/or regulation of tissue material properties. This work motivates further study of Smarce1 and Tns4 for their role(s) in ocular pathology involving the corneoscleral envelope as well as the development of novel mouse models of ocular pathophysiology, such as myopia and glaucoma.