Disturbed retinoid metabolism upon loss of rlbp1a impairs cone function and leads to subretinal lipid deposits and photoreceptor degeneration in the zebrafish retina.

ABSTRACT: The RLBP1 gene encodes the 36 kDa cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein, CRALBP, a soluble retinoid carrier, in the visual cycle of the eyes. Mutations in RLBP1 are associated with recessively inherited clinical phenotypes, including Bothnia dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, retinitis punctata albescens, fundus albipunctatus, and Newfoundland rod-cone dystrophy. However, the etiology of these retinal disorders is not well understood. Here, we generated homologous zebrafish models to bridge this knowledge gap. Duplication of the rlbp1 gene in zebrafish and cell-specific expression of the paralogs rlbp1a in the retinal pigment epithelium and rlbp1b in Müller glial cells allowed us to create intrinsically cell type-specific knockout fish lines. Using rlbp

SUBMITTER: Schlegel DK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8585484 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature