Identification of proteins in retinas and IPM from eyes with retinitis pigmentosa

S. Y. Schmidt, C. A. Heth, R. B. Edwards, J. T. Brandt, A. J. Adler, A. Spiegel, H. Shichi, E. L. Berson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Opsin, the α-subunit of transducin, S-antigen, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) and cathepsin D were assessed in autopsy eyes from patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and normal autopsy eyes. Immunochemical methods were used to determine the presence of these proteins on Western blots of retinal homogenates from five RP donors and on blots of interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) preparations from six other RP eyes. The amounts of immunoreactive opsin, S-antigen, α-transducin, and IRBP appeared below normal in retinas from RP eyes. All six IPM samples from patients with advanced RP had reduced amounts of S-antigen and no detectable IRBP or transducin. Cathepsin D (an RPE protein) was present in IPM of RP eyes in amounts comparable to that in IPMs from normal eyes. Small amounts of cathepsin D were also detected in retinas from both normal and RP eyes. These studies show that proteins specific to the photoreceptor-pigment epithelium complex in normal eyes can be detected in autopsy eyes from patients with RP and suggest that the observed reductions in photoreceptor-specific proteins occur as a consequence of photoreceptor loss.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1585-1593
Number of pages9
JournalInvestigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Volume29
Issue number11
StatePublished - 1988
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology
  • Sensory Systems
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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