Immunolocalization of CD44 in the Dystrophic Rat Retina

The distribution of the cell surface adhesion/receptor molecule CD44 was studied in retinas of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat which exhibits an inherited retinal dystrophy. In this animal model, the retinal pigment epithelium fails to phagocytize shed photoreceptor outer segment material, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental eye research 1998-09, Vol.67 (3), p.283-292
Main Authors: CHAITIN, MICHAEL H., BRUN-ZINKERNAGEL, ANNE-MARIE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Congenic
Biological and medical sciences
CD44
Hyaluronan Receptors - analysis
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Medical sciences
Microscopy, Immunoelectron
Muscular Dystrophy, Animal - metabolism
Müller cells
Ophthalmology
photoreceptors
Rats
Rats, Inbred F344
Rats, Mutant Strains
RCS rats
Retina - chemistry
retinal dystrophy
Retinopathies
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Summary:The distribution of the cell surface adhesion/receptor molecule CD44 was studied in retinas of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat which exhibits an inherited retinal dystrophy. In this animal model, the retinal pigment epithelium fails to phagocytize shed photoreceptor outer segment material, a membranous debris layer accumulates in the subretinal space and the photoreceptor cells degenerate. Using immunoperoxidase and immunogold labeling, CD44 was localized to Müller cell apical microvilli in normal rat retinas, as noted in other species. For the RCS rat, immunoperoxidase labeling of 18 day and 1 month retinas showed the typical microvillar labeling pattern. At 2 months postnatal, following degeneration of most of the photoreceptors, a more condensed band of microvillar label was observed. At 3 months, when photoreceptor degeneration was virtually complete, only distinct regions of dense label remained between the neural retina and debris zone. Upon ultrastructural and immunogold analysis, these regions were found to contain closely packed Müller cell microvilli. At all ages studied, labeling for CD44 in the inner retina did not increase, as it does in other forms of retinal degeneration which lack a debris zone. However, by 3 months the debris zone was labeled for CD44 indicating that CD44 molecules remain on Müller cell microvilli and processes which have extended into and become part of the debris zone. This may be caused by an altered distribution of still undetermined ligands for CD44 which are present within the interphotoreceptor matrix of the RCS rat retina.
ISSN:0014-4835
1096-0007
DOI:10.1006/exer.1998.0510