The Retinal Homeobox (Rx) gene is necessary for retinal regeneration.

Imagen de Reyna I. Martínez De Luna
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TítuloThe Retinal Homeobox (Rx) gene is necessary for retinal regeneration.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AutoresDe Luna, RIMartinez, Kelly, LE, El-Hodiri, HM
JournalDev Biol
Volume353
Issue1
Pagination10-8
Date Published2011 May 1
ISSN1095-564X
Palabras claveAnimals, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Homeodomain Proteins, Larva, Regeneration, Retina, Stem Cells, Transcription Factors, Transgenes, Xenopus laevis, Xenopus Proteins
Abstract

The Retinal Homeobox (Rx) gene is essential for vertebrate eye development. Rx function is required for the specification and maintenance of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs). Loss of Rx function leads to a lack of eye development in a variety of species. Here we show that Rx function is also necessary during retinal regeneration. We performed a thorough characterization of retinal regeneration after partial retinal resection in pre-metamorphic Xenopus laevis. We show that after injury the wound is repopulated with retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that express Rx and other RPC marker genes. We used an shRNA-based approach to specifically silence Rx expression in vivo in tadpoles. We found that loss of Rx function results in impaired retinal regeneration, including defects in the cells that repopulate the wound and the RPE at the wound site. We show that the regeneration defects can be rescued by provision of exogenous Rx. These results demonstrate for the first time that Rx, in addition to being essential during retinal development, also functions during retinal regeneration.

DOI10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.02.008
Alternate JournalDev. Biol.
PubMed ID21334323
PubMed Central IDPMC3093306
Grant ListEY015480 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States
R01 EY015480-05 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States