Bioinformatic approaches for identification and characterization of olfactomedin related genes with a potential role in pathogenesis of ocular disorders

摘要

To identify olfactomedin domain containing proteins, which are expressed in the eye and have similarity toudmyocilin, to test as potential candidates for eye diseases. Most of the mutations in myocilin causing primary open angleudglaucoma are located in the olfactomedin domain. In vitro experiments demonstrated interaction between optimedin andudmyocilin through the conserved olfactomedin domains of the proteins in rats, and it was speculated that optimedin mightudhave a role in the pathogenesis of ocular disorders. Hence, we aimed to identify myocilin related human proteins havingudconserved olfactomedin domains with potential to interact between them and examine the expression patterns in the eyeudby bioinformatics approaches. This endeavor would have the potential to identify new candidate genes for eye diseases in general and glaucoma in particular to be tested by wet-lab experiments.