Cited by 130Retinal Diseases and TreatmentsAutophagy in Disease and TherapyRetinal Development and Disorders

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 78 of the 78 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 11 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Deletion of autophagy inducer RB1CC1 results in degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium

Open access

Abstract

Autophagy regulates cellular homeostasis and response to environmental stress. Within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the eye, the level of autophagy can change with both age and disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between reduced autophagy and age-related degeneration of the RPE. The gene encoding RB1CC1/FIP200 (RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1), a protein essential for induction of autophagy, was selectively knocked out in the RPE by crossing Best1-Cre mice with mice in which the Rb1cc1 gene was flanked with Lox-P sites (Rb1cc1(flox/flox)). Ex vivo and in vivo analyses, including western blot, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and electroretinography were performed to assess the structure and function of the retina as a function of age. Deletion of Rb1cc1 resulted in multiple autophagy defects within the RPE including decreased conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, accumulation of autophagy-targeted precursors, and increased numbers of mitochondria. Age-dependent degeneration of the RPE occurred, with formation of atrophic patches, subretinal migration of activated microglial cells, subRPE deposition of inflammatory and oxidatively damaged proteins, subretinal drusenoid deposits, and occasional foci of choroidal neovascularization. There was secondary loss of photoreceptors overlying the degenerated RPE and reduction in the electroretinogram. These observations are consistent with a critical role of autophagy in the maintenance of normal homeostasis in the aging RPE, and indicate that disruption of autophagy leads to retinal phenotypes associated with age-related degeneration.

Overview

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TL;DR

RPE-specific deletion of the autophagy inducer RB1CC1 in mice causes progressive, age-dependent retinal pigment epithelium degeneration with AMD-like features and secondary photoreceptor loss. The findings support a critical role for canonical macroautophagy in maintaining RPE homeostasis.

Key findings

  • Conditional Rb1cc1 knockout in mouse RPE reduced autophagy: decreased LC3-I to LC3-II conversion, increased SQSTM1/p62, accumulation of unprocessed phagosomes, and increased mitochondria; the overlying retina had normal RB1CC1 and equal LC3-I to LC3-II conversion.
  • The RPE phenotype was age-dependent: at 2 mo Rb1cc1-CKO retinas were similar to controls by OCT/histology and ERG; at 4 mo there were small white-yellowish structures, patchy RPE atrophy, hyperreflective subretinal spots, and CD68-positive macrophage infiltration; by 8 mo there was widespread RPE disruption, vacuolization, atrophy, TJP1/ZO-1 disorganization, and increased IBA1-positive cells.
  • Rb1cc1-CKO RPE showed AMD-like changes: Bruch’s membrane disruption by CD29 staining, subRPE C3 and nitrotyrosine deposition, increased autofluorescence/lipofuscin, Oil Red O lipid accumulation, SQSTM1/ubiquitin-tagged debris, and occasional histologic choroidal neovascularization.
  • Secondary photoreceptor degeneration occurred despite normal photoreceptor autophagy markers: decreased outer nuclear layer thickness and progressive age-dependent reductions in photopic and scotopic ERG responses.

Methods

  • ARPE-19 cells: siRNA knockdown of RB1CC1, photoreceptor outer segment feeding, bafilomycin A1 treatment, western blot, and immunofluorescence for LC3/SQSTM1.
  • Mice: RPE-specific Rb1cc1-CKO generated by crossing Best1-Cre with Rb1cc1 flox/flox; controls were Rb1cc1 wt; Best1-Cre littermates. Analyzed at 2, 4, and 8 mo by western blot, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, fundus photography, OCT, fluorescein angiography, ERG, RPE flat mounts, Oil Red O, and autofluorescence.
  • Statistics: mean ± SD; two-tailed Student t test and one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction; Kruskal-Wallis for western blotting; significance at P < 0.05.

Limitations

  • Stated: the authors cannot conclude that decreased autophagy is the primary cause of AMD; the data support dysregulation of this pathway as critical but not primary.
  • Stated: they cannot definitively state that the observed vessels are of choroidal origin; neovascularization foci were infrequent, seen only on histology, with no significant hyperfluorescence on angiography.
  • Stated: the data do not address the role of LC3-associated phagocytosis in processing shed outer segments. Evident: findings are from a mouse model and ARPE-19 cells, so human AMD relevance remains inferential.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/15548627.2015.1041699

Cites

78 of 78 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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85 Own result · 22 Own interpretation · 13 Not checked yet · 3 Own method · 2 No basis given

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  • It may state two separate claims as one. 25
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
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30 of 30
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Photoreceptors are highly dependent on the RPE for metabolic support.

    “This effect is not altogether unexpected, as the photoreceptors are highly dependent on the RPE for metabolic support.”
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Citations

Cites

Show all 78 references

Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Linsenmeier RA, 2000, Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 41, 3117
  2. Reme CE, 1977, Invest. Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 16, 807
  3. Viiri J, 2010, Mol Vis, 16, 1399
  4. Mitter SK, Autophagy
  5. Zacks DN, 2002, Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 43, 2384
  6. Zhao Y, 2014, Mol Neurobiol
  7. Mazzoni F, 2014, Exp Eye Res
  8. Gibbings D, 2013, Autophagy, 14, 1314
  9. Hemati N, 2005, Mol Vis, 11, 1151

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Metadata

Authors
Yao, J., Jia, L., Khan, N., Lin, C., Mitter, S. K., Boulton, M. E., Dunaief, J. L., Klionsky, D. J., Guan, J.-L., Thompson, D. A., & Zacks, D. N.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Indiana University School of Medicine (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • University of Cincinnati (US)
Corresponding author
Zacks, David N
Venue
Autophagy
Published
2015-06-03
Volume
11
Issue
6
Pages
939-953
ISSN
  • 1554-8627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1554-8635
OpenAlex
W1762842507
Cited by
130
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 4
FWCI
10.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Autophagy (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Research to Prevent Blindness (EY007003)
  • Arnold and Mabel Beckman Initiative for Macular Research
  • National Eye Institute (R01EY020823, EY-020823, EY-007003, R01EY015240)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM053396)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Retinal Diseases and Treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Retinal Development and Disorders
Keywords
RB1CC1, FIP200, retinal pigment epithelium, age-related degeneration, LC3 conversion, mitochondrial accumulation, microglial activation, drusen, choroidal neovascularization, photoreceptor loss, electroretinogram
MeSH terms
Autophagy-Related Proteins, Animals, Autophagy, Electroretinography, Epithelium, Mitochondria, Sequence Deletion, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Mice, Retinal Pigment Epithelium

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