The purpose of this thesis was to investigate mechanisms contolling the growth of corneal epithelial cells, particularly the intracellular signals involved with stratification compared with cellular migration and maturation. Buttons of epithelium were cultured in different culture media. The explants were monitored microscopically for their growth patterns and finally fixed and examined for cytokeratin, vimentin and actin. Different growth patterns were observed in the different media, indicating that different signalling patterns must be operating in these cells depending upon the media in which they were grown. To investigate the intracellular pathways controlling the different growth patterns, the protein phosphorylation of different cultures was investigated. The two proteins, p57 and p30, are strongly suggested to be associated with stratification of the epithelial cells. The possible involvement of the common serine kinase, PKC, in controlling the growth pattern of corneal epithelial cells were also investigated. The results suggested that an intracellular pathway involving PKC promotes the maturation and spread of the cells but is not involved in their stratification. These experiments taken together indicate that the different aspects of corneal epithelia cell growth are tightly controlled and may occur quite independently. Specific protein expression appears to be important for stratification, and phosphorylation of proteins by PKC appears to be involved with the maturation of epithelial cells from basal cells. It also indicates that the mature cells are capable of producing the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin which appears to have an important role in causing the spread as distinct from the stratification of the corneal epithelial cells. / Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/182013 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Liu, Ke, University of Western Sydney, College of Science, Technology and Environment, School of Science, Food and Horticulture |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | THESIS_CSTE_SFH_Liu_K.xml |
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