Retinal Degeneration and Microglial Dynamics in Mature Progranulin-Deficient Mice.
Int J Mol Sci 2021;
22:ijms222111557. [PMID:
34768987 PMCID:
PMC8584076 DOI:
10.3390/ijms222111557]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Progranulin (PGRN) is a secreted glycoprotein that regulates numerous cellular processes. The role of PGRN as a regulator of lysosomes has recently received attention. The purpose of this study was to characterize the retinal phenotype in mature PGRN knockout (Grn−/−) mice. The a-wave amplitude of scotopic electroretinogram and outer nuclear thickness were significantly reduced at 6 months of age in Grn−/− mice compared to wild-type (Grn+/+) mice. In Grn−/− mice, retinal microglial cells accumulated on the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) apical layer, and the number of infiltrated microglia and white fundus lesions between 2 and 6 months of age showed a close affinity. In Grn+/+ mice, PGRN was located in the retina, while the strongest PGRN signals were detected in the RPE-choroid. The different effects of PGRN deficiency on the expression of lysosomal proteins between the retina and RPE-choroid were demonstrated. Our data suggest that the subretinal translocation of microglia is a characteristic phenotype in the retina of mature PGRN knockout mice. The different effects of PGRN deficiency on the expression of lysosomal proteins between the retina and RPE-choroid might modulate microglial dynamics in PGRN knockout mice.
Collapse