Tyrosinase-Cre-Mediated Deletion of the Autophagy Gene Atg7 Leads to Accumulation of the RPE65 Variant M450 in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium of C57BL/6 Mice.

ABSTRACT: Targeted gene knockout mouse models have helped to identify roles of autophagy in many tissues. Here, we investigated the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of Atg7f/f Tyr-Cre mice (on a C57BL/6 background), in which Cre recombinase is expressed under the control of the tyrosinase promoter to delete the autophagy gene Atg7. In line with pigment cell-directed blockade of autophagy, the RPE and the melanocytes of the choroid showed strong accumulation of the autophagy adaptor and substrate, sequestosome 1 (Sqstm1)/p62, relative to the levels in control mice. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis demonstrated that the RPE, but not the choroid melanocytes, of Atg7f/f Tyr-Cre mice also had strongly increased levels of retinoid isomerohydrolase RPE65, a pivotal enzyme for the maintenance of

SUBMITTER: Sukseree S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4990303 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature