Novel cataract-causing variant c.177dupC in c-MAF regulates the expression of crystallin genes for cell apoptosis via a mitochondria-dependent pathway.

Congenital cataract (CC) is regarded as the most common hereditary ophthalmic disease in children. Mutations in CC-associated genes play important roles in CC formation, which provides the basis for molecular diagnosis and therapy. Among these CC-associated genes, v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog (c-MAF) is considered an important transcription factor for eye and lens development.

Association between endoplasmic reticulum stress and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common and challenging ocular complications of diabetes mellitus. As a chronic, progressive ocular disease that poses a serious threat to vision, DR has gradually become a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Emerging evidence points to an important role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in not only maintaining the steady-state equilibrium in the body, but also in intracellular synthesis, protein folding, and other essential functions.

Two novel mutations identified in ADCC families impair crystallin protein distribution and induce apoptosis in human lens epithelial cells.

Congenital cataract (CC) is a clinical and genetically heterogeneous eye disease that primarily causes lens disorder and even amblyopic blindness in children. As the mechanism underlying CC is genetically inherited, identification of CC-associated gene mutations and their role in protein distribution are topics of both pharmacological and biological research. Through physical and ophthalmic examinations, two Chinese pedigrees with autosomal dominant congenital cataract (ADCC) were recruited for this study.

Downregulation of Smac attenuates H2O2-induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress in human lens epithelial cells.

Background: Second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) is reported to promote apoptosis. Given the important role of apoptosis in cataract development, the aim of this study was to investigate whether Smac induces human lens epithelial cell (HLEC) apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).

Methods: Smac expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in anterior lens capsules from 157 patients with age-related cataracts and 5 normal controls.