Biomedical subjects

G J Chader

Publications and source records attributed to G J Chader.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Localization of the gene for pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) to chromosome 17p13.1 and expression in cultured human retinoblastoma cells.

The gene for pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) was localized to chromosome 17 by the analysis of three independent somatic cell hybrid panels. Fluorescence in situ hybridization shows a specific hybridization signal at the terminal portion of the short arm of chromosome 17. PCR analysis of somatic cell hybrids containing specific regions of 17 was subsequently used to sublocalize PEDF to 17p13.1-pter. PEDF thus maps to a region containing a number of cancer-related loci and thus must be considered a candidate gene for these cancers. Preliminary studies with cultured human Y79 retinoblastoma cells indicate that expression of PEDF is associated with relatively undifferentiated, proliferating cells rather than their differentiated, slow-growing counterparts. This and the fact that the PEDF protein can act as a potent neurotrophic differentiating agent suggest that PEDF is linked to proliferative events that terminate in final phenotypic determination within specific cell lineages.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells by transforming growth factor-beta.

Antibodies specific for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were produced in rabbits, using the multiple antigen peptide (MAP) technique, and were employed to investigate the ability of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) to induce the HO-1 protein in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Western blot analyses showed that the cytokine induced HO-1 in these cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. TGF-beta 1 also increased the mRNA for HO-1 in treated cells prior to the increase in HO-1 protein. The induction was effectively blocked by a neutralizing antibody preparation against TGF-beta 1. When tested under similar conditions, other growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor-I, platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, and epidermal growth factor did not show appreciable induction of HO-1. Lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma were also not inducers, although TGF-beta 2 effectively induced HO-1. Heavy metal ions and thiol reagents were also highly potent inducers of HO-1 in human RPE cells. The induction of HO-1 by TGF-beta 1 was also observed in bovine choroid fibroblasts, but not in HELA, HEL or bovine corneal fibroblasts. Our results demonstrate for the first time that HO-1 can be induced by an important cytokine, TGF-beta 1, causing an increase in the expression of both HO-1 message and protein in specific neuroepithelial and fibroblast cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

A glycoprotein binding retinoids and fatty acids is present in Drosophila.

In the search for a possible Drosophila melanogaster homolog of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), a approximately 140-kDa retinoid- and fatty acid-binding glycoprotein found in vertebrates, the 110,000 g supernatant fraction prepared from homogenates of fly heads was analyzed for the presence of proteins capable of binding radiolabeled retinol and palmitic acid. A soluble protein, which binds concanavalin A and has a retention time on size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography identical to that of purified bovine IRBP, was identified as binding both ligands. As assessed by fluorescence titration, the protein fraction obtained by concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography of fly head supernatant had apparent dissociation constants of 2.9 x 10(-7) +/- 0.6 M for all-trans retinol, with the number (n) of independent ligand binding sites per protein molecule = 2, and 3.5 x 10(-7) +/- 0.1 M for 16-[9-anthroyloxy] palmitic acid with n = 7. High-performance liquid chromatography of hexane extracts of this protein fraction resolved several peaks with polarity and relative retention times similar, but not identical to all-trans retinol and retinal and their 9-, 11-, and 13-cis isomers. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of fatty acid methyl esters prepared following lipid extraction of the protein identified lauric, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, and oleic acids as being covalently bound. Laurate, myristate, palmitate, and stearate were noncovalently bound. The apparent molecular mass of the Drosophila protein as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining of the retinoid- and fatty acid-binding peak obtained by hydrophobic interaction chromatography of the size-exclusion fraction was approximately 70 kDa.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Assay of tubulin acetyltransferase activity in subcellular tissue fractions.

An assay for alpha-tubulin acetyltransferase (TAT) activity based on affinity isolation of labeled acetylated alpha-tubulin was developed for use with crude subcellular fractions. Microtubules were polymerized and immobilized on an anti-alpha-tubulin-agarose and then incubated with the subcellular fraction and [3H]acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA). The labeled product was eluted from the antibody-agarose and the tritiated acetate incorporation determined. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot of the eluate verified the presence of acetyl-alpha-tubulin. Analysis of bovine retinal fractions showed the highest specific activity of tubulin acetyltransferase activity in the 27,000g pellet fraction (P2) of retinal homogenates. This transferase activity was proportional to the concentration of microtubule protein immobilized under polymerizing conditions and had an apparent Km of 3 microM for acetyl-CoA. The activity was solubilized from the P2 pellet by a high ionic strength buffer. The properties of the retinal TAT determined by this assay are very similar to those reported for a more purified enzyme preparation from Chlamydomonas flagella using the conventional trichloroacetic acid precipitation assay and support the use of this method for samples in which high backgrounds prohibit use of the conventional assay.

Acetyltransferases↗

PubMed1994

Characterization and novel activation of 72-kDa metalloproteinase in retinal interphotoreceptor matrix and Y-79 cell culture medium.

Analysis of bovine interphotoreceptor matrix and conditioned medium from human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells by gelatin SDS-PAGE zymography reveals abundant activity of a 72-kDa M(r) gelatinase. The 72-kDa gelatinase from either source is inhibited by EDTA but not aprotinin or NEM, indicating that it is a metalloproteinase (MMP). The 72-kDa MMP is converted to a 62-kDa species with APMA treatment after gelatin sepharose affinity purification, typical of previously described gelatinase MMP-2. The latent 72-kDa gelatinase from either bovine IPM or Y-79 media autoactivates without APMA in the presence of calcium and zinc after 72 hr at 37 degrees C, producing a fully active mixture of proteinase species, 50 (48 in Y-79 medium), 38 and 35 kDa in size. The presence of inhibitory activity was examined in both whole bovine IPM and IPM fractions separated by SDS-PAGE. Whole IPM inhibited gelatinolytic activity of autoactivated Y-79-derived MMP in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibitory activities are observed in two protein fractions of 27-42 and 20-25 kDa. Western blots using antibodies to human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and -2) reveal the presence of two TIMP-1-like proteins at 21 and 29 kDa in inhibitory fractions of the bovine IPM. TIMP-2 was not detected in the inhibitory IPM fractions, consistent with the observed autoactivation of bovine IPM 72-kDa gelatinase. Potential roles for this IPM MMP-TIMP system include physiologic remodelling of the neural retina-RPE cell interface and digestion of shed rod outer segment as well as pathological processes such as retinal detachment, PE cell migration, neovascularization and tumor progression. Cultured Y-79 cells appear to be a good model for studying the production and regulation of this proteinase system.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Light deprivation profoundly affects gene expression of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein in the mouse eye.

Ambient light appears to play a role in regulating gene and protein expression of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), a protein that facilitates the transport of retinoids between the neural retina and pigment epithelium in the visual cycle. Pregnant CD-1 mice were placed in the dark approximately 48 hr before parturition, and the pups were reared for 14 days under these conditions. Control animals were reared on a 12 hr light/12 hr dark cycle. Northern blotting of total RNA isolated from whole mouse eyes at post-natal days 7-14 (P7-P14) showed a marked reduction in IRBP message in the light-deprived animals to 10-20% of levels in control animals. Reprobing of the blots for opsin and S-antigen message showed a significant decrease of about 80-90% in opsin message at 5.1 kb but no change in S-antigen message in the eyes of light-deprived mice. Light microscopic examination of the light-deprived mouse retinas showed no apparent abnormalities in morphological development and immunocytochemistry demonstrated normal distribution and levels of IRBP protein. Immunochemical quantitation of IRBP protein confirmed that there was no reduction in light-deprived as compared to normal mouse eyes. Similarly, when adult mice were light-deprived for 14 days, a marked reduction in IRBP message was also observed with no decrease in the amount of IRBP protein. Thus, light deprivation causes a large decrease in IRBP message in the mouse eye, but IRBP protein is not decreased. The dramatic effect of light deprivation on IRBP mRNA and some opsin mRNAs, but not on S-antigen message and the fact that IRBP protein levels are relatively unaffected, suggest a complex pathway of light regulation of photoreceptor function previously not encountered. This may involve regulatory controls at levels including gene transcription, mRNA stability or protein degradation that may make use of a feedback control mechanism involving light- or dark-dependent signal transduction.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Chromosomal localization of the human heme oxygenase genes: heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) maps to chromosome 22q12 and heme oxygenase-2 (HMOX2) maps to chromosome 16p13.3.

Heme oxygenase catalyzes the oxidation of heme to biliverdin, the precursor of the bile pigment bilirubin, and carbon monoxide, a putative neurotransmitter. We have employed polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine the chromosome localization of the genes coding for the two known heme oxygenase isozymes. Heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), the inducible form, was localized to human chromosome 22q12, while heme oxygenase-2 (HMOX2), the constitutive form, was localized to chromosome 16p13.3.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

An early decrease in interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein gene expression in Abyssinian cats homozygous for hereditary rod-cone degeneration.

Levels of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) protein and message in retinas of Abyssinian cats homozygous for progressive rod-cone degeneration were determined at early ages, well before the onset of clinical retinal degeneration. IRBP gene expression was assessed by immunochemical quantitation of IRBP protein, and by Northern blotting and slot-blotting of total RNA using a human IRBP cDNA probe. Morphology was assessed by electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry. Levels of both IRBP protein and message in affected Abyssinian cat retinas were significantly reduced below normal as early as 4 weeks of age at the earliest stage of retinal disorientation. Opsin mRNA was more abundant in affected Abyssinian cat retinas than in control retinas. This was at least 1 year before the onset of clinical symptoms. The reduction in IRBP gene expression to levels significantly below normal well before the onset of retinal degeneration in affected Abyssinian cat retinas indicates that this represents a primary defect or at least an early problem that could itself cause adverse effects.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Identification of heat shock proteins binding to an immunodominant uveitopathogenic peptide of IRBP.

Intracellular binding proteins have been identified and isolated from B cells by their ability to bind to the synthetic peptide (1169-1191), the major immunodominant epitope of bovine interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) coupled to cyanogen bromide activated Sepharose 4B. After SDS-PAGE, two discrete protein bands of approximately 72 and 74 kDa, were found to be present in B cells of naive Lewis rats as well as in EBV transformed B cells from a human patient with ocular Behçet's disease. Enhanced expression of these peptide-binding proteins was achieved by incubating the cells with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from S. typhimurium. The approximately 72 and 74 kDa peptide-binding proteins reacted in western blot with monoclonal antibodies specific for both constitutively expressed and inducible 72/74 kDa hsp 70 proteins. The demonstration that these proteins bind to the immunodominant epitope of IRBP indicates that they may play a role in the processing and presentation of antigens by antigen-presenting cell (APC).

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Vitreal insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are increased in human and animal diabetics.

Although patients with diabetic retinopathy have been reported to have elevated vitreal IGF-I levels, it is not known whether diabetes also affects the levels of vitreal IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) which control IGF's bioavailability. To address this issue, vitreal IGFBP levels were assayed in human diabetics, rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes and galactose-fed dogs with diabetic-like retinopathy. Using 125I-IGF-II ligand blots, it was found that human diabetics have a 4-fold increase in vitreal IGFBP levels. Also, western blots on human diabetic vitreous reveal increased levels of IGFBP-2 and proteolytic fragments of IGFBP-3. IGF binding assays on vitreous from streptozotocin-treated rats (three months in duration) also indicate a 5-fold increase in IGF binding activity. IGF ligand blots using vitreous from rats with a shorter duration of diabetes (one month) show a 63% increase in IGFBP binding and a marked decrease in serum IGFBP binding. IGF ligand blots and IGFBP-2 and -4 western blots using vitreous from galactose-fed dogs with diabetic-like retinopathy exhibit a 6-fold increase in vitreal IGFBPs. The observation that vitreal IGFBPs are elevated in diabetic humans and rats without overt retinopathy suggests that these increases are not the result of a preexisting end-stage retinopathy but rather are an early ocular event in the diabetic process. Increases in vitreal IGFBPs thus could participate in the proliferative aspects of diabetic retinopathy by virtue of their putative intrinsic bioactivity or their capacity to alter IGF bioavailability.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Differentiation of Y79 retinoblastoma cells with pigment epithelial-derived factor and interphotoreceptor matrix wash: effects on tumorigenicity.

We investigated the in vivo differentiation potential of Y79 human retinoblastoma cells following pre-treatment with two novel neurotrophic agents: PEDF (human recombinant pigmented-epithelial derived factor) or IPM (interphotoreceptor matrix) wash. These agents were able to induce a significant degree of morphological differentiation in vitro. However, 48 days after subretinal transplantation of pre-treated cells, massive tumor formation was apparent. In contrast, Y79 cells pre-treated with retinoic acid/sodium butyrate, which attain a lesser degree of morphological differentiation, did not produce tumors over a 30 to 60 day-survival time (del Cerro et al., Brain Research, 12-22, 1992). We conclude that for PEDF and IPM, the degree of in vitro differentiation and the degree of mitotic arrest are independent features.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Heme oxygenase-1 is associated with the neurofibrillary pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

Heme oxygenase-1 is an important enzyme that degrades heme, a pro-oxidant, leading to the formation of antioxidant molecules. In this study we demonstrate by immunocytochemistry close association of heme oxygenase-1 with Alzheimer neurofibrillary pathology and with the neurofibrillary tangles found in progressive supranuclear palsy and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. In Alzheimer's disease, using two different rabbit antisera against heme oxygenase-1 protein, we localized, using immunocytochemical methods, heme oxygenase-1 to neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaque neurites, granulovacuolar degeneration, and neuropil threads. Only light background staining was seen in young controls and sporadic lesion-related immunoreactivity in age-matched controls. The increase in heme oxygenase-1 protein in association with the neurofibrillary pathology of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases characterized by neurofibrillary tangles supports the notion that the generation of free radicals and oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of neurofibrillary pathology.

Aged↗

PubMed1993

Overexpression of fetal human pigment epithelium-derived factor in Escherichia coli. A functionally active neurotrophic factor.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a neurotrophic protein present in low amounts in conditioned medium of cultured fetal human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Recently, the PEDF cDNA has been cloned from a fetal human cDNA library, and its derived amino acid sequence identified it as a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) supergene family (Steele, F. R., Chader, G. J., Johnson, L. V., and Tombran-Tink, J. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 90, 1526-1530). We have prepared recombinant expression constructs from the fetal human PEDF cDNA and obtained milligram amounts of biologically active PEDF from Escherichia coli. The full-length open reading frame (Met1-Pro418) and a truncated form (Asp44-Pro418) were used in our constructs. Induction from a vector containing the truncated PEDF version, named pEV-BH, produced a protein (BH) of expected size (M(r) 42,800) associated with inclusion bodies, which contained 25-40% of expressed protein. After solubilization, BH was highly purified by gel filtration and cation exchange chromatography. The NH2-terminal sequence of the purified protein matched that of the pEV-BH construct. We have conducted neurite outgrowth assays in a human retinoblastoma Y-79 cell culture system. Recombinant PEDF (BH) demonstrated neurotrophic activity, as reported for the native PEDF. Thus, unfolded and refolded in vitro BH retained a potent biological activity. In parallel experiments, protease inhibition assays were performed. Recombinant PEDF did not have an effect on trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, cathepsin G, endoproteinase Lys-C, endoproteinase Glu-C, or subtilisin activity, suggesting that inhibition of known serine proteases is not the biochemical pathway for the PEDF neutrophic activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Study of a fatty acid binding site of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein using fluorescent fatty acids.

Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is a 140-kDa glycolipoprotein which constitutes about 70% of the soluble protein of the retinal interphotoreceptor matrix. Much is known concerning its role in the transport of retinoids between photoreceptor cells and pigment epithelium but little is known about its interactions with lipids. Here we have examined the physicochemical characteristics of a fatty acid binding site of IRBP using a set of fluorescent fatty acid analogs with an anthracene moiety attached at different positions along the hydrocarbon chain. The results show that fatty acids are bound in a hydrophobic environment as indicated by a blue shift in fluorescence maxima and by a increase in quantum yield of the bound ligand. There is a single specific fatty acid binding site for each molecule of IRBP with an apparent Kd = 3.6 x 10(-7) M. There is a nonradiative energy transfer from tryptophan residues to bound ligand. The interactions of IRBP and bound fatty acid are sensitive to denaturation by increasing concentrations of urea as judged by changes in nonradiative energy transfer efficiency and the quantum yield of bound probe. Quantum yields of bound fatty acid analogs varied with position of the fluorophore along the hydrocarbon chain and had the lowest values for the fluorophore located at the midpoint. Probing of the microenvironment of bound fluorophore with a quencher indicated a highly structured binding site.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Pigment epithelium-derived factor: neurotrophic activity and identification as a member of the serine protease inhibitor gene family.

Cultured pigment epithelial cells of the fetal human retina secrete a protein, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), that induces a neuronal phenotype in cultured human retinoblastoma cells. Morphological changes include the induction of an extensive neurite meshwork and the establishment of corona-like cellular aggregates surrounding a central lumen. The differentiated cells also show increases in the expression of neuron-specific enolase and the 200-kDa neurofilament subunit. Amino acid and DNA sequence data demonstrate that PEDF belongs to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family. The PEDF gene contains a typical signal-peptide sequence, initiator methionine codon, and polyadenylylation signal and matches the size of other members of the serpin superfamily (e.g., alpha 1-antitrypsin). It lacks homology, however, at the putative serpin reactive center. Thus, PEDF could exert a paracrine effect in the embryonic retina, influencing neuronal differentiation by a mechanism that does not involve classic inhibition of serine protease activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Induction of unresponsiveness in adult rats by immunodominant and nondominant peptides.

Intravenous (i.v.) administration of antigens in aqueous solution is an efficient procedure for inducing unresponsiveness in adult animals. Using this procedure, we have compared the unresponsiveness-inducing capacity of an immunodominant and a nondominant peptide derived from the sequence of a retinal antigen, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). The immunodominant peptide, R16, is highly immunogenic in the Lewis rat, while the nondominant peptide, R4, is much less immunogenic and requires higher doses to induce immune response. Pretreatment of Lewis rats with peptides R4 or R16 effectively induced unresponsiveness, shown by the reduced lymphocyte responses following the challenge with the same peptide in adjuvant emulsion. A correlation was found between the doses of each peptide needed to induce immunity or unresponsiveness: both of these doses had to be higher for peptide R4 than for R16. Remarkably, the minimal unresponsiveness-inducing doses of both peptides were lower than those used for the challenge. Pretreatment with the immunodominant peptide, R16, readily inhibited the response to this peptide by lymphocytes from rats challenged with whole IRBP and excessive doses of R16 even affected the response of these rats against whole IRBP. In contrast, R4, which is not recognized by cells of rats challenged with whole IRBP, had no effect on the responses of these rats. The data thus underscore the relationship between immunodominance and unresponsiveness-inducing capacity of peptides and support the notion that the processes of unresponsiveness induction are related to those that produce immunity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Distribution of IGF-I and -II, IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) and IGFBP mRNA in ocular fluids and tissues: potential sites of synthesis of IGFBPs in aqueous and vitreous.

Levels of insulin-like growth factor-I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) in bovine aqueous humor are twice those found in the vitreous (aqueal IGF-I = 0.62 nM, vitreal IGF-I = 0.30 nM; aqueal IGF-II = 0.028 nM, vitreal IGF-II = 0.017 nM). IGF-I and II binding assays and IGF-II Western ligand blots indicate that aqueous and vitreous humor have equal overall levels of binding (binding assays, mean +/- S.E.M. bound/free per 50 microliters of fluid: vitreal IGF-II = 7.28 +/- 1.6, IGF-I = 0.3 +/- 0.078; aqueal IGF-II = 7.21 +/- 0.072; IGF-I = 0.3 +/- 0.078). In addition, the ligand blots reveal that aqueous and vitreous have markedly different complements of specific IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). Aqueal levels of a 34 kDa IGFBP, immunologically identified as IGFBP-2, exceed those in the vitreous by two-fold. In contrast, the vitreous exhibits a two- to three-fold higher level of smaller (28-24 kDa), yet unidentified, IGFBPs. Aqueal and vitreal IGFBP patterns are also different from those found in serum. IGFBP-2 found in the aqueous and vitreous may be synthesized by ciliary body and/or cornea since these structures contain high levels of IGFBP-2 mRNA. Lens epithelial cells may also contribute IGFBP-2 to the aqueous since they also contain IGFBP-2 mRNA, albeit at substantially lower levels than the cornea and ciliary body. The retina has the lowest level of IGFBP-2 mRNA. IGF-II binding assays of cornea, ciliary body, retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) indicate that the cornea has the highest level of binding (mean +/- S.E.M. IGF-II B/F per 50 micrograms protein: cornea = 84.52 +/- 28.8; iris/ciliary body complex = 0.61 +/- 0.078; retina = 0.47 +/- 0.096; RPE = 0.069 +/- 0.019). IGF-II ligand blots confirm these tissue-specific differences in binding and show that each ocular tissue contains IGFBP-2. In addition, ligand blots indicate that each ocular tissue contains a complex and distinctive population of IGFBPs. For example, the cornea and retina (but not the ciliary body, aqueous or vitreous) contain a 46 kDa IGFBP that may be IGFBP-3. The finding that cornea and retina also contain IGFBP-3 mRNA suggests that these structures may synthesize IGFBP-3 for local use within the eye.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) enhances rhodopsin regeneration in the experimentally detached retina.

Results obtained in a previous study showed that, compared with a normal eyecup preparation, the amount of rhodopsin regenerated and the rate at which it was resynthesized after bleaching were reduced by about 50% when the skate retina was detached from its pigment epithelium (RPE) and replaced immediately on the apical surface of the RPE (Sun and Ripps, 1992). In the present study, these observations have been extended to preparations in which the detachment procedure was performed under fluid in order to dilute the IRBP content of the interphotoreceptor matrix. The goal initially was to determine whether lowering the IRBP concentration of the subretinal space affected the regenerative process. Using fundus reflectometry, it was found that allowing fluid to enter the subretinal space exposed by the detachment procedure caused profound deficits in both the rate and amount of rhodopsin that regenerated after bleaching. Results obtained with SDS-PAGE and immunohistochemistry showed that the molecular weight of the IRBP extracted from the skate retina is similar to that of many other vertebrate species, and that antibodies prepared against mammalian IRBP react with epitopes on skate IRBP within the interphotoreceptor matrix. Accordingly, it was investigated whether it is possible to reverse the detachment-induced anomalies in rhodopsin kinetics by introducing ligand-free IRBP purified from bovine retina to the subretinal space. Again using fundus reflectometry, it was found that instilling 5 microM of a 130 microM IRBP solution between the neural retina and the RPE increased significantly the rate of regeneration, and more than doubled the amount of rhodopsin reformed in darkness.

Adaptation, Ocular↗