@article{10.1167/iovs.15-16808,
    author = {García-Ayuso, Diego and Di Pierdomenico, Johnny and Esquiva, Gema and Nadal-Nicolás, Francisco Manuel and Pinilla, Isabel and Cuenca, Nicolás and Vidal-Sanz, Manuel and Agudo-Barriuso, Marta and Villegas-Pérez, María P.},
    title = "{Inherited Photoreceptor Degeneration Causes the Death of Melanopsin-Positive Retinal Ganglion Cells and Increases Their Coexpression of Brn3a}",
    journal = {Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science},
    volume = {56},
    number = {8},
    pages = {4592-4604},
    year = {2015},
    month = {07},
    abstract = "{   To study the population of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (melanopsin-expressing RGCs, m+RGCs) in P23H-1 rats, a rat model of inherited photoreceptor degeneration.    At postnatal (P) times P30, P365, and P540, retinas from P23H dystrophic rats (line 1, rapid degeneration; and line 3, slow degeneration) and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (control) were dissected as whole-mounts and immunodetected for melanopsin and/or Brn3a. The dendritic arborization of m+RGCs and the numbers of Brn3a+RGCs and m+RGCs were quantified and their retinal distribution and coexpression analyzed.    In SD rats, aging did not affect the population of Brn3a+RGCs or m+RGCs or the percentage that showed coexpression (0.27\\%). Young P23H-1 rats had a significantly lower number of Brn3a+RGCs and showed a further decline with age. The population of m+RGCs in young P23H-1 rats was similar to that found in SD rats and decreased by 22.6\\% and 28.2\\% at P365 and P540, respectively, similarly to the decrease of the Brn3a+RGCs. At these ages the m+RGCs showed a decrease of their dendritic arborization parameters, which was similar in both the P23H-1 and P23H-3 lines. The percentage of coexpression of Brn3a was, however, already significantly higher at P30 (3.31\\%) and increased significantly with age (10.65\\% at P540).    Inherited photoreceptor degeneration was followed by secondary loss of Brn3a+RGCs and m+RGCs. Surviving m+RGCs showed decreased dendritic arborization parameters and increased coexpression of Brn3a and melanopsin, phenotypic and molecular changes that may represent an effort to resist degeneration and/or preferential survival of m+RGCs capable of synthesizing Brn3a.  }",
    issn = {1552-5783},
    doi = {10.1167/iovs.15-16808},
    url = {https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.15-16808},
    eprint = {https://arvojournals.org/arvo/content\_public/journal/iovs/934219/i1552-5783-56-8-4592.pdf},
}