Mapping retinal degeneration and loss-of-function in Rd-FTL mice

Abstract

Purpose. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a blinding disease caused by the degeneration of photoreceptors. To further understand the process of degeneration in RP, the authors have traced activation patterns associated with rod and cone photoreceptor degeneration in a mouse model of RP Methods. The authors used a double-mutant mouse, Rd-FTL, which contains a natural mutation, rd1, affecting the rod photoreceptors and an axon-targeted β-galactosidase reporter system, which is under the regulation of the promoter of the c-fos gene. These mice allowed the authors to trace degeneration-related activity that corresponded to rod and cone death Results. The authors traced cell death-associated activati..