Attenuation of lysyl oxidase and collagen gene expression in keratoconus patient corneal epithelium corresponds to disease severity.

PURPOSE: Keratoconus (KC) is characterized by progressive vision loss due to corneal thinning and structural abnormalities. It is hypothesized that KC is caused by deregulated collagen levels and collagen fibril-maturating enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX). Further, it is currently not understood whether the gene expression deregulated by the corneal epithelium influences KC pathogenesis. We studied (i) the expressions of the LOX, collagen I (COL IA1), collagen IV (COL IVA1), MMP9, and IL6 genes in KC corneal epithelia, (ii) validated their expression levels in patient tissues, and (iii) correlated expression levels with KC disease severity. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the importance of these genes in the progression of KC. METHODS: We analyzed the gene expression levels of the key proteins LOX, collagens (COL IA1 and COL IVA1), MMP9, and IL6 in debrided corneal epithelia from a large cohort of KC patients (90 eyes) and compared them to control patients (52 eyes) without KC. We measured the total LOX activity in the tears of KC patients compared to controls. We also correlated the protein expression levels of LOX and collagens by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in primary tissues from KC patients (27 eyes) undergoing keratoplasty compared to healthy donor corneas (15 eyes). RESULTS: We observed a significant reduction in LOX transcript levels in KC corneal epithelia, and LOX activity in KC tears correlated with disease severity. Collagen transcripts were also reduced in KC while MMP9 transcript levels were upregulated and correlated with disease severity. IL6 was moderately increased in KC patients. IHC demonstrated a reduction in the protein expression levels of LOX in the epithelium and collagen IV in the basement membrane of KC patients compared to healthy donor corneas. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrates that the structural deformity of the KC cornea may be dependent on reduced expressions of collagens and LOX, as well as on MMP9 elevated by the corneal epithelium.

Engineering a recombinant chitinase from the marine bacterium Bacillus aryabhattai with targeted activity on insoluble crystalline chitin for chitin oligomer production.

Chitin, an abundant polysaccharide in India, is primary by-product of the seafood industry. Efficiently converting chitin into valuable products is crucial. Chitinase, transforms chitin into chitin oligomers, holds significant industrial potential. However, the crystalline and insoluble nature of chitin makes the conversion process challenging. In this study, a recombinant chitinase from marine bacteria Bacillus aryabhattai was developed. This enzyme exhibits activity against insoluble chitin substrates, chitin powder and flakes. The chitinase gene was cloned into the pET 23a plasmid and transformed into E. coli Rosetta pLysS. IPTG induction was employed to express chitinase, and purification using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Optimal chitinase activity against colloidal chitin was observed in Tris buffer at pH 8, temperature 55°C, with the presence of 400 mM sodium chloride. Enzyme kinetics studies revealed a Vmax of 2000 µmole min-1 and a Km of 4.6 mg mL-1. The highest chitinase activity against insoluble chitin powder and flakes reached 875 U mg-1 and 625 U mg-1, respectively. The chitinase demonstrated inhibition of Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, and Penicillium chrysogenum growth. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and LC-MS analysis confirmed the production of chitin oligomers, chitin trimer, tetramer, pentamer, and hexamer, from chitin powder and flakes using recombinant chitinase.