Abstract
Purpose:
The recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1) plays an important role in the rearrangement and recombination of genes in immune cells. Although recent studies have focused on the expression of Rag1 in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and elsewhere in the central nervous system, its presence and function in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the distribution of Rag1 in RGCs and examine its involvement in programmed cell death.
Methods:
RGCs were purified from the retinas of 6-month-old C57/BL/6 mice using microbeads-conjugated anti-mouse Thy-1 antibodies by positive selection. RT-PCR of total RNA from the purified-RGCs was then performed to demonstrate the gene expression of Rag1. To examine the role of Rag1 in vivo, the total number of RGCs was calculated in 0.3-milimeter-sections taken 0.35mm from both the edge of the optic disk and the orra serata in each of 4 groups: NFkBp50 knockout (p50KO) mice in which we have reported increased age-related RGC death, Rag1KO mice, p50/Rag1 double KO (DKO) mice, and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice.
Results:
Rag1 gene expression was detected in the pan-purified RGCs. The numbers of RGCs in the WT, p50KO, Rag1KO, and DKO groups were 61.8±4.2, 54.7±4.5, 58.8±3.5 and 58.0±4.8 (mean±SD, n=8-12), respectively. The number of RGCs in p50KO mice was significantly decreased compared with that in WT mice (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the number of RGCs between DKO and WT mice.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that Rag1 is present in RGCs and plays a role in programmed cell death.
Keywords: 531 ganglion cells •
659 protein structure/function •
688 retina