[HTML][HTML] Functionally rodless mice: transgenic models for the investigation of cone function in retinal disease and therapy

AL Lyubarsky, J Lem, J Chen, B Falsini, A Iannaccone… - Vision research, 2002 - Elsevier
AL Lyubarsky, J Lem, J Chen, B Falsini, A Iannaccone, EN Pugh Jr
Vision research, 2002Elsevier
Two genetically engineered strains of mice were used to characterize murine cone function
electroretinographically, without interference of rod-driven responses:(1) mice with a
deletion of the gene for the rod transducin α-subunit (transducin α−/−), and (2) mice with rod
arrestin deleted (arrestin−/−). In the first three months of age, both strains have a normal
complement of rods and normal rod structure, but transducin α−/− mice have no rod-driven
responses to light, while rod-driven activity of arrestin−/− mice can be suppressed by a …
Two genetically engineered strains of mice were used to characterize murine cone function electroretinographically, without interference of rod-driven responses: (1) mice with a deletion of the gene for the rod transducin α-subunit (transducin α−/−), and (2) mice with rod arrestin deleted (arrestin −/−). In the first three months of age, both strains have a normal complement of rods and normal rod structure, but transducin α−/− mice have no rod-driven responses to light, while rod-driven activity of arrestin −/− mice can be suppressed by a single intense flash for hours. In response to intense flashes the electroretinograms of these strains of mice showed a readily identifiable, pure-cone a-wave of ∼10 μV saturating amplitude. A 530 nm background that saturates rod responses of wild type mice was found to desensitize the b-wave responses of mice of both transgenic lines, whether the b-waves were driven by photons captured by M- or UV-cone pigments. The desensitizing effect of the 530 nm background on UV-pigment driven responses provides new evidence in support of the hypothesis of functional co-expression of the M-pigment in cones expressing primarily the UV-pigment.
Elsevier