The cell biology of the retinal pigment epithelium

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of post-mitotic polarized epithelial cells, strategically situated between the photoreceptors and the choroid, is the primary caretaker of photoreceptor health and function. Dysfunction of the RPE underlies many inherited and acquired diseases that c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in retinal and eye research 2020-09, Vol.78, p.100846-100846, Article 100846
Main Authors: Lakkaraju, Aparna, Umapathy, Ankita, Tan, Li Xuan, Daniele, Lauren, Philp, Nancy J., Boesze-Battaglia, Kathleen, Williams, David S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autophagy
Endosomes
Lysosomes
Metabolism
Organelles
Phagocytosis
Phagosome maturation
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Summary:The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of post-mitotic polarized epithelial cells, strategically situated between the photoreceptors and the choroid, is the primary caretaker of photoreceptor health and function. Dysfunction of the RPE underlies many inherited and acquired diseases that cause permanent blindness. Decades of research have yielded valuable insight into the cell biology of the RPE. In recent years, new technologies such as live-cell imaging have resulted in major advancement in our understanding of areas such as the daily phagocytosis and clearance of photoreceptor outer segment tips, autophagy, endolysosome function, and the metabolic interplay between the RPE and photoreceptors. In this review, we aim to integrate these studies with an emphasis on appropriate models and techniques to investigate RPE cell biology and metabolism, and discuss how RPE cell biology informs our understanding of retinal disease.
ISSN:1350-9462
1873-1635
1873-1635
DOI:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100846