Citation
- Authors: Kaplan L. et al.
- Year: 2022
- Journal: Glia
- Applications: in vitro / DNA / jetOPTIMUS
- Cell type: MIO-M1
Method
For the transfection, ~300,000 cells were seeded per well of a 6-well plate to receive a subconfluent culture on the next day. Cells were transfected with an equimolar mix of all four vectors using jetOPTIMUS transfection reagent (Polyplus) according to manufacturer's protocol. Briefly, a total of 2.5 μg of plasmid mix was added to 200 μl of jetOPTIMUS buffer, which then was supplemented with 2.5 μl jetOPTIMUS reagent and incubated for 10 min. This transfection mix was added to the cells and incubated for 4 hours before exchanging the medium.
Abstract
The human macula is a highly specialized retinal region with pit-like morphology and rich in cones. How Müller cells, the principal glial cell type in the retina, are adapted to this environment is still poorly understood. We compared proteomic data from cone- and rod-rich retinae from human and mice and identified different expression profiles of cone- and rod-associated Müller cells that converged on pathways representing extracellular matrix and cell adhesion. In particular, epiplakin (EPPK1), which is thought to play a role in intermediate filament organization, was highly expressed in macular Müller cells. Furthermore, EPPK1 knockout in a human Müller cell-derived cell line led to a decrease in traction forces as well as to changes in cell size, shape, and filopodia characteristics. We here identified EPPK1 as a central molecular player in the region-specific architecture of the human retina, which likely enables specific functions under the immense mechanical loads in vivo.