Endothelial RAB5IF is required for pathological and developmental retinal angiogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Retinal angiogenesis drives both normal vascular development and sight-threatening retinal vascular diseases. While mitochondria are known to fuel this process, the roles of many specific mitochondrial proteins are poorly understood. Here we show that the mitochondrial protein RAB5 interacting factor (RAB5IF) as a critical pro-angiogenic regulator of physiological retinal vascular development in neonatal mice (sex-balanced) and pathological retinal angiogenesis in two models: oxygen-induced retinopathy mice (sex-balanced) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization mice (sex-balanced). Proteomic sequencing identified SUMO2 as a critical downstream protein of RAB5IF. RAB5IF silencing impeded mitochondrial respiration and ribosome biogenesis, specifically suppressing SUMO2 mRNA translatio

SUBMITTER: Bai W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12738560 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature