Independent degeneration of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium in conditional knockout mouse models of choroideremia

Sammanfattning

Choroideremia (CHM) is an X-linked degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), photoreceptors, and choroid, caused by loss of function of the CHM/REP1 gene. REP1 is involved in lipid modification (prenylation) of Rab GTPases, key regulators of intracellular vesicular transport and organelle dynamics. To study the pathogenesis of CHM and to develop a model for assessing gene therapy, we have created a conditional mouse knockout of the Chm gene. Heterozygous-null females exhibit characteristic hallmarks of CHM: progressive degeneration of the photoreceptors, patchy depigmentation of the RPE, and Rab prenylation defects. Using tamoxifen-inducible and tissue-specific Cre expression in combination with floxed Chm alleles, we show that CHM pathogenesis involves independently triggered degeneration of photoreceptors and the RPE, associated with different subsets of defective Rabs.

Publicerad i

Journal of Clinical Investigation
2006, volym: 116, nummer: 2, sidor: 386-394
Utgivare: AMER SOC CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INC

SLU författare

• Åbrink, Magnus

  • Institutionen för molekylär biovetenskap, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Cell- och molekylärbiologi

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI26617

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/41345