Molecular Vision: Sun, Mol Vis 2008; 14:2237-2262. Table 3

Table 3. General characteristics of the E7 and E14 cultured RPE.

	E7	E14
Probe sets expressed	19,360	18,540
% of the probe sets detected in vivo (E7-E18)	89%	86%
% expressed in culture, but not in vivo	6%	5%
% affected by E14 rcSF3 when serum is present	24%	12%
% affected by E14 rcSF3 without serum	15%	1.9%
Genes important for RPE functions (340 examined)¹
Expressed within 2X in vivo level²	195	198
Not Expressed	34	39
Retinal condition medium affects expression³	40 (18)	13 (10)
Transcription factors and regulators (116 examined)
Expressed within 2X in vivo level²	73	83
Not Expressed	1	8
Retinal condition medium affects expression³	8 (7)	5 (0)
Signal transduction genes (154 Examined)
Expressed within 2X in vivo level²	70	83
Not Expressed	19	27
Retinal condition medium affects expression³	15 (13)	3 (7)

Total RNA from the indicated cultures was hybridized to microarrays of the chick genome. Data are presented for cultures maintained in basal media, and where indicated, for the effects of E14 retinal conditioned medium. ¹Genes important for the epithelial-specific functions of the RPE, such as the visual cycle, phagocytosis, intracellular junctions, cytoskeleton, and transcellular transport were described in a study of RPE development [1]. ²Comparisons of the level of expression were made between cultures maintained in basal conditions and native RPE of the corresponding age. ³Because E14 retinal conditioned medium appears to promote differentiation in culture [10], levels of mRNA expression in E7, or E14, cultures supplemented with conditioned medium were compared to that of native E14 RPE. Indicated is the number of mRNAs for which the disparity in expression levels was lessened. Numbers in parentheses indicate mRNAs for which the disparity in expression increased.