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1From the Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Eye Clinic, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; the 2Institute of Biology I, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; and the 4Retinal Diagnostics Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology II, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
PURPOSE. Phototransduction in cones is initiated by the bleaching of their visual pigment, which comprises a protein componentcone opsinand a vitamin A derivative11-cis retinal. Little is known about the source of 11-cis retinal for cones. In the current study, neural retina leucine zipperdeficient (Nrl/) and rod opsin (Rho/)deficient mice were used, two mouse models that have been described as having a "cone-only" retina, to analyze the retinoid metabolism of cones. In addition, these mice were bred to retinal pigment epithelial protein 65 (Rpe65/)deficient mice to study the role of RPE65.
METHODS. Mice were analyzed using morphology, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, electroretinography (ERG), and retinoid profiling by HPLC.
RESULTS. In comparison to wild-type mice, the retina of Nrl/ mice contained elevated levels of RPE65 and cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), suggesting a particular role of these two proteins for the retinoid metabolism of cones. In Nrl/ mice, different retinoid species were present in proportions similar to wild type. Ablation of RPE65 in Nrl/ and Rho/ mice led to the absence of 11-cis retinal, but increased the total retinoid content, with retinyl esters representing the most abundant retinoid species. In the absence of RPE65, retinal sensitivity in Nrl/ mice dropped by a factor of a thousand.
CONCLUSIONS. The data show that RPE65, previously shown to be essential for rod function, is also indispensable for the production of 11-cis retinal for cones and thus for cone function.
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