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Published July 9, 1996 | Version Published
Journal Article Open

bcl-2 overexpression reduces apoptotic photoreceptor cell death in three different retinal degenerations

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Abstract

Apoptosis of photoreceptors occurs infrequently in adult retina but can be triggered in inherited and environmentally induced retinal degenerations. The protooncogene bcl-2 is known to be a potent regulator of cell survival in neurons. We created lines of transgenic mice overexpressing bcl-2 to test for its ability to increase photoreceptor survival. Bcl-2 increased photoreceptor survival in mice with retinal degeneration caused by a defective opsin or cGMP phosphodiesterase. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in normal photoreceptors also decreased the damaging effects of constant light exposure. Apoptosis was induced in normal photoreceptors by very high levels of bcl-2. We conclude that bcl-2 is an important regulator of photoreceptor cell death in retinal degenerations.

Additional Information

© 1996 by the National Academy of Sciences Contributed by Melvin I. Simon, January 26, 1996 We thank Nancy Lawson, Cathy Lau, Gloria Riggs, Douglas Yasumura, and Dr. Michael T. Matthes for technical and secretarial assistance. This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship EY06405 (J.C.); Research Grants AG12288 (M.I.S.), EY08908 (J.G.F.), EY01919 (M.M.L.), and EY01429 (R.H.S.); Core Grant EY02162; and funds from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Research to Prevent Blindness, Alcon Research Institute, and That Man May See, Inc. The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact.

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Additional details

Identifiers

PMCID
PMC38932
Eprint ID
812
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:CHEpnas96a

Funding

NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship
EY06405
NIH
AG12288
NIH
EY08908
NIH
EY01919
NIH
EY01429
NIH
EY02162
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Research to Prevent Blindness
Alcon Research Institute
That Man May See Foundation

Dates

Created
2005-10-07
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-08
Created from EPrint's last_modified field