Fig. 7

a The larval, 7 days post-fertilisation, cfap20^−/− homozygote retina is indistinguishable from wildtype (WT) animals (green bracket = rod and blue/red/green cone OS and RPE, white arrowhead = UV cone OS). By 1.5 months post-fertilisation (mpf) the homozygote retina is degenerate with loss of organised cone subtype layers (green bracket = rod OS and RPE, white arrowhead = UV cone OS, black arrowhead = blue/red/green cone OS) and poorly defined OPL (asterisk). b, c By 4 mpf, the cone mosaic is lost in homozygotes and hyperreflective blebs (arrows) are observed in the outer retina (Optical Coherent Tomography B-scans (cross section) and en face projections). The photoreceptor and OPLs are thinner in homozygotes (n = 5; error bars = SEM; two-tailed unpaired Mann-Whitney, pR P = 0.0079, OPL P = 0.0238). Representative full-field electroretinogram traces from 4 mpf dark (DA) or light adapted (LA) animals presented in d. e At both ages, the DA b-wave is reduced in homozygotes (two-tailed unpaired T-tests; 1.5 mpf: n = 8 WT, 4 cfap20^−/−; P = 0.0382; 4 mpf n = 19 WT, 7 cfap20^−/−; P = 0.0017) whereas the LA b-wave is reduced only at 4 mpf (two-tailed unpaired T-tests; 1.5 mpf: n = 14 WT, 4 cfap20^−/−; P = 0.6010; 4 mpf: n = 20 WT, 7 cfap20^−/−; P = 5.60 * 10⁻⁵). Box plots: minima, 25^th percentile, median, 75^th percentile, maxima. f Rod and cone layers are shorter and became disorganised over time, with cone OSs detachment at 4 and 8 mpf (arrowheads). g False-coloured TEM micrographs reveal reduced density and OS dysmorphia of homozygotes at 8 mpf. Detached OSs (arrows) are engulfed by RPE. h Apoptotic cells (arrowheads) are observed in the outer retina of homozygotes but never WTs controls. IPL inner plexiform layer, INL inner nuclear layer, OPL outer plexiform layer, ONL outer nuclear layer, pR photoreceptor layer, IS inner segment, OS outer segment, RPE retinal pigment epithelium. See also Supplementary Figs. ⁹ and ¹⁰. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.