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Dontsov A, Ostrovsky M. Retinal Pigment Epithelium Pigment Granules: Norms, Age Relations and Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3609. [PMID: 38612421 PMCID: PMC11011557 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which ensures the normal functioning of the neural retina, is a pigmented single-cell layer that separates the retina from the Bruch's membrane and the choroid. There are three main types of pigment granules in the RPE cells of the human eye: lipofuscin granules (LG) containing the fluorescent "age pigment" lipofuscin, melanoprotein granules (melanosomes, melanolysosomes) containing the screening pigment melanin and complex melanolipofuscin granules (MLG) containing both types of pigments simultaneously-melanin and lipofuscin. This review examines the functional role of pigment granules in the aging process and in the development of oxidative stress and associated pathologies in RPE cells. The focus is on the process of light-induced oxidative degradation of pigment granules caused by reactive oxygen species. The reasons leading to increased oxidative stress in RPE cells as a result of the oxidative degradation of pigment granules are considered. A mechanism is proposed to explain the phenomenon of age-related decline in melanin content in RPE cells. The essence of the mechanism is that when the lipofuscin part of the melanolipofuscin granule is exposed to light, reactive oxygen species are formed, which destroy the melanin part. As more melanolipofuscin granules are formed with age and the development of degenerative diseases, the melanin in pigmented epithelial cells ultimately disappears.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mikhail Ostrovsky
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia;
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Moran AL, Carter SP, Kaylor JJ, Jiang Z, Broekman S, Dillon ET, Gómez Sánchez A, Minhas SK, van Wijk E, Radu RA, Travis GH, Carey M, Blacque OE, Kennedy BN. Dawn and dusk peaks of outer segment phagocytosis, and visual cycle function require Rab28. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22309. [PMID: 35471581 PMCID: PMC9322422 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101897r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RAB28 is a farnesylated, ciliary G-protein. Patient variants in RAB28 are causative of autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), an inherited human blindness. In rodent and zebrafish models, the absence of Rab28 results in diminished dawn, photoreceptor, outer segment phagocytosis (OSP). Here, we demonstrate that Rab28 is also required for dusk peaks of OSP, but not for basal OSP levels. This study further elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which Rab28 controls OSP and inherited blindness. Proteomic profiling identified factors whose expression in the eye or whose expression at dawn and dusk peaks of OSP is dysregulated by loss of Rab28. Notably, transgenic overexpression of Rab28, solely in zebrafish cones, rescues the OSP defect in rab28 KO fish, suggesting rab28 gene replacement in cone photoreceptors is sufficient to regulate Rab28-OSP. Rab28 loss also perturbs function of the visual cycle as retinoid levels of 11-cRAL, 11cRP, and atRP are significantly reduced in larval and adult rab28 KO retinae (p < .05). These data give further understanding on the molecular mechanisms of RAB28-associated CRD, highlighting roles of Rab28 in both peaks of OSP, in vitamin A metabolism and in retinoid recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailís L. Moran
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
- UCD Conway InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Stephen P. Carter
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
- UCD Conway InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Joanna J. Kaylor
- Department of OphthalmologyDavid Geffen School of MedicineUCLA Stein Eye InstituteUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Zhichun Jiang
- Department of OphthalmologyDavid Geffen School of MedicineUCLA Stein Eye InstituteUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sanne Broekman
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviorNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Alicia Gómez Sánchez
- UCD Conway InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
- Ocupharm Diagnostic Group ResearchFaculty of Optic and OptometryUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Sajal K. Minhas
- UCD School of Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Erwin van Wijk
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviorNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Roxana A. Radu
- Department of OphthalmologyDavid Geffen School of MedicineUCLA Stein Eye InstituteUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Gabriel H. Travis
- Department of OphthalmologyDavid Geffen School of MedicineUCLA Stein Eye InstituteUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos Angeles School of MedicineLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michelle Carey
- UCD School of Mathematics & StatisticsUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Oliver E. Blacque
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
- UCD Conway InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Breandán N. Kennedy
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
- UCD Conway InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
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Lima de Carvalho JR, Kim HJ, Ueda K, Zhao J, Owji AP, Yang T, Tsang SH, Sparrow JR. Effects of deficiency in the RLBP1-encoded visual cycle protein CRALBP on visual dysfunction in humans and mice. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:6767-6780. [PMID: 32188692 PMCID: PMC7212638 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in retinaldehyde-binding protein 1 (RLBP1), encoding the visual cycle protein cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), cause an autosomal recessive form of retinal degeneration. By binding to 11-cis-retinoid, CRALBP augments the isomerase activity of retinoid isomerohydrolase RPE65 (RPE65) and facilitates 11-cis-retinol oxidation to 11-cis-retinal. CRALBP also maintains the 11-cis configuration and protects against unwanted retinaldehyde activity. Studying a sibling pair that is compound heterozygous for mutations in RLBP1/CRALBP, here we expand the phenotype of affected individuals, elucidate a previously unreported phenotype in RLBP1/CRALBP carriers, and demonstrate consistencies between the affected individuals and Rlbp1/Cralbp−/− mice. In the RLBP1/CRALBP-affected individuals, nonrecordable rod-specific electroretinogram traces were recovered after prolonged dark adaptation. In ultrawide-field fundus images, we observed radially arranged puncta typical of RLBP1/CRALBP-associated disease. Spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed hyperreflective aberrations within photoreceptor-associated bands. In short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence (SW-AF) images, speckled hyperautofluorescence and mottling indicated macular involvement. In both the affected individuals and their asymptomatic carrier parents, reduced SW-AF intensities, measured as quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF), indicated chronic impairment in 11-cis-retinal availability and provided information on mutation severity. Hypertransmission of the SD-OCT signal into the choroid together with decreased near-infrared autofluorescence (NIR-AF) provided evidence for retinal pigment epithelial cell (RPE) involvement. In Rlbp1/Cralbp−/− mice, reduced 11-cis-retinal levels, qAF and NIR-AF intensities, and photoreceptor loss were consistent with the clinical presentation of the affected siblings. These findings indicate that RLBP1 mutations are associated with progressive disease involving RPE atrophy and photoreceptor cell degeneration. In asymptomatic carriers, qAF disclosed previously undetected visual cycle deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hye Jin Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Keiko Ueda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Jin Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Aaron P Owji
- Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Tingting Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Stephen H Tsang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032.,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Janet R Sparrow
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032 .,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
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Tinklepaugh J, Smith BM, Nie Y, Moody K, Grohn K, Bou-Abdallah F, Doyle RP. Saposin B Binds the Lipofuscin Bisretinoid A2E and Prevents its Enzymatic and Photooxidation. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2017; 1:256-259. [PMID: 29057298 DOI: 10.1002/cptc.201700039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin A based bisretinoid accumulation is a major focus in the study of macular degeneration. Whether specific endogenous lysosomal proteins can bind A2E, a pronounced bisretinoid in lipofuscin granules in retinal pigment epithelial cells, and interfere with enzymatic or photoinduced oxidation of such, has not been explored. Herein, using fluorescence and electronic absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that Saposin B, a critical protein in the degradation of sulfatides and "flushing" of lipids, can bind A2E, preventing its H2O2-dependent enzymatic oxidation by horseradish peroxidase and photooxidation by blue light (λ=450-460 nm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Tinklepaugh
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 (USA)
| | - Britannia M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY 13676 (USA)
| | - Yan Nie
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 (USA)
| | - Kelsey Moody
- ICHOR Therapeutics, 2521 US-11, Lafayette, NY 13084 (USA)
| | - Kris Grohn
- ICHOR Therapeutics, 2521 US-11, Lafayette, NY 13084 (USA)
| | - Fadi Bou-Abdallah
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY 13676 (USA)
| | - Robert P Doyle
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 (USA).,Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 (USA)
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Lenis TL, Sarfare S, Jiang Z, Lloyd MB, Bok D, Radu RA. Complement modulation in the retinal pigment epithelium rescues photoreceptor degeneration in a mouse model of Stargardt disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:3987-92. [PMID: 28348233 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620299114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recessive Stargardt macular degeneration (STGD1) is caused by mutations in the gene for the ABCA4 transporter in photoreceptor outer segments. STGD1 patients and Abca4-/- (STGD1) mice exhibit buildup of bisretinoid-containing lipofuscin pigments in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), increased oxidative stress, augmented complement activation and slow degeneration of photoreceptors. A reduction in complement negative regulatory proteins (CRPs), possibly owing to bisretinoid accumulation, may be responsible for the increased complement activation seen on the RPE of STGD1 mice. CRPs prevent attack on host cells by the complement system, and complement receptor 1-like protein y (CRRY) is an important CRP in mice. Here we attempted to rescue the phenotype in STGD1 mice by increasing expression of CRRY in the RPE using a gene therapy approach. We injected recombinant adeno-associated virus containing the CRRY coding sequence (AAV-CRRY) into the subretinal space of 4-wk-old Abca4-/- mice. This resulted in sustained, several-fold increased expression of CRRY in the RPE, which significantly reduced the complement factors C3/C3b in the RPE. Unexpectedly, AAV-CRRY-treated STGD1 mice also showed reduced accumulation of bisretinoids compared with sham-injected STGD1 control mice. Furthermore, we observed slower photoreceptor degeneration and increased visual chromophore in 1-y-old AAV-CRRY-treated STGD1 mice. Rescue of the STGD1 phenotype by AAV-CRRY gene therapy suggests that complement attack on the RPE is an important etiologic factor in STGD1. Modulation of the complement system by locally increasing CRP expression using targeted gene therapy represents a potential treatment strategy for STGD1 and other retinopathies associated with complement dysregulation.
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Ben Ami T, Tong Y, Bhuiyan A, Huisingh C, Ablonczy Z, Ach T, Curcio CA, Smith RT. Spatial and Spectral Characterization of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Fluorophore Families by Ex Vivo Hyperspectral Autofluorescence Imaging. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2016; 5:5. [PMID: 27226929 PMCID: PMC4874453 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.5.3.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Discovery of candidate spectra for abundant fluorophore families in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) by ex vivo hyperspectral imaging. Methods Hyperspectral autofluorescence emission images were captured between 420 and 720 nm (10-nm intervals), at two excitation bands (436–460, 480–510 nm), from three locations (fovea, perifovea, near-periphery) in 20 normal RPE/Bruch's membrane (BrM) flatmounts. Mathematical factorization extracted a BrM spectrum (S0) and abundant lipofuscin/melanolipofuscin (LF/ML) spectra of RPE origin (S1, S2, S3) from each tissue. Results Smooth spectra S1 to S3, with perinuclear localization consistent with LF/ML at all three retinal locations and both excitations in 14 eyes (84 datasets), were included in the analysis. The mean peak emissions of S0, S1, and S2 at λex 436 nm were, respectively, 495 ± 14, 535 ± 17, and 576 ± 20 nm. S3 was generally trimodal, with peaks at either 580, 620, or 650 nm (peak mode, 650 nm). At λex 480 nm, S0, S1, and S2 were red-shifted to 526 ± 9, 553 ± 10, and 588 ± 23 nm, and S3 was again trimodal (peak mode, 620 nm). S1 often split into two spectra, S1A and S1B. S3 strongly colocalized with melanin. There were no significant differences across age, sex, or retinal location. Conclusions There appear to be at least three families of abundant RPE fluorophores that are ubiquitous across age, retinal location, and sex in this sample of healthy eyes. Further molecular characterization by imaging mass spectrometry and localization via super-resolution microscopy should elucidate normal and abnormal RPE physiology involving fluorophores. Translational Relevance Our results help establish hyperspectral autofluorescence imaging of the human retinal pigment epithelium as a useful tool for investigating retinal health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Ben Ami
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yuehong Tong
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alauddin Bhuiyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carrie Huisingh
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Zsolt Ablonczy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas Ach
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christine A Curcio
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - R Theodore Smith
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Abstract
Although currently available treatment options for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are limited, particularly for atrophic AMD, the identification of predisposing genetic variations has informed clinical studies addressing therapeutic options such as complement inhibitors and anti-inflammatory agents. To lower risk of early AMD, recommended lifestyle interventions such as the avoidance of smoking and the intake of low glycemic antioxidant-rich diets have largely followed from the identification of nongenetic modifiable factors. On the other hand, the challenge of understanding the complex relationship between aging and cumulative damage leading to AMD has fueled investigations of the visual cycle adducts that accumulate in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and are a hallmark of aging retina. These studies have revealed properties of these compounds that provide insights into processes that may compromise RPE and could contribute to disease mechanisms in AMD. This work has also led to the design of targeted therapeutics that are currently under investigation.
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Hunter JJ, Morgan JIW, Merigan WH, Sliney DH, Sparrow JR, Williams DR. The susceptibility of the retina to photochemical damage from visible light. Prog Retin Eye Res 2012; 31:28-42. [PMID: 22085795 PMCID: PMC3242847 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2011] [Revised: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The photoreceptor/RPE complex must maintain a delicate balance between maximizing the absorption of photons for vision and retinal image quality while simultaneously minimizing the risk of photodamage when exposed to bright light. We review the recent discovery of two new effects of light exposure on the photoreceptor/RPE complex in the context of current thinking about the causes of retinal phototoxicity. These effects are autofluorescence photobleaching in which exposure to bright light reduces lipofuscin autofluorescence and, at higher light levels, RPE disruption in which the pattern of autofluorescence is permanently altered following light exposure. Both effects occur following exposure to visible light at irradiances that were previously thought to be safe. Photopigment, retinoids involved in the visual cycle, and bisretinoids in lipofuscin have been implicated as possible photosensitizers for photochemical damage. The mechanism of RPE disruption may follow either of these paths. On the other hand, autofluorescence photobleaching is likely an indicator of photooxidation of lipofuscin. The permanent changes inherent in RPE disruption might require modification of the light safety standards. AF photobleaching recovers after several hours although the mechanisms by which this occurs are not yet clear. Understanding the mechanisms of phototoxicity is all the more important given the potential for increased susceptibility in the presence of ocular diseases that affect either the visual cycle and/or lipofuscin accumulation. In addition, knowledge of photochemical mechanisms can improve our understanding of some disease processes that may be influenced by light exposure, such as some forms of Leber's congenital amaurosis, and aid in the development of new therapies. Such treatment prior to intentional light exposures, as in ophthalmic examinations or surgeries, could provide an effective preventative strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Hunter
- Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Box 314, 601Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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