Welcome

CorneaNet, sponsored by the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions is a comprehensive database of genes expressed in normal and diseased human corneas.

CorneaNet entries are derived from two major sources. The first source of CorneaNet entries is Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) of normal corneal endothelium and Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy corneal endothelium. SAGE is a highly efficient method of gene expression analysis which relies upon the generation of unique, short (10 bp) sequences (tags) of cDNA which can be concatamerized, cloned, and sequenced. Tag sequences can serve as unique markers of larger genes due to the fact that a 10 bp sequence can distinguish between 1,048,576 transcripts given a random nucleotide distribution at the tag site.

The second source of CorneaNet entries is microarray analysis of normal corneal endothelium. Microarrays are solid substrates to which known, nucleic acid sequences (probes) are placed in an ordered arrangement. Experimental samples of unknown nucleic acid sequences from cells or tissues of interest are labeled and exposed to the microarrays. If a probe on the microarray corresponds to a nucleic acid sequence in the experimental sample, complementary hybridization occurs and the probe sequence (corresponding to a specific gene) is thus identified as being present in the experimental sample. The microarray used in this experiment is the Affymetrix Hu95A array containing over 10,000 full-length human gene sequences. For more information on microarrays:

• www.gene-chips.com
• industry.ebi.ac.uk/~alan/MicroArray/

CorneaNet will continue to be updated and extended as new SAGE and microarray data become available.

CorneaNet is provided to the research community and other interested individuals for research purposes only. This information should not be used for medical or commercial purposes. Although we strive for accuracy and completeness, we cannot guarantee that all information is correct and complete.

Please send us your comments and suggestions.

CorneaNet was developed by:

John D. Gottsch, M.D.
Albert S. Jun, M.D., Ph.D.
John Pearson, BSc (Hons)
Elliott Margulies, Ph.D.
Walter J. Stark, M.D.

CorneaNet is supported by Eye Bank Association of America and the Irvin and Ginger Gomprecht Research Fund.