PUBLICATION

Nok plays an essential role in maintaining the integrity of the outer nuclear layer in the zebrafish retina

Authors
Wei, X., Zou, J., Takechi, M., Kawamura, S., and Li, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-060323-7
Date
2006
Source
Experimental Eye Research   83(1): 31-44 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kawamura, Shoji, Wei, Xiangyun
Keywords
retinal patterning, nagie oko (nok), outer limiting membrane, outer nuclear layer, zebrafish, photoreceptor
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cadherins/genetics
  • Cell Adhesion/genetics
  • Cell Movement/genetics
  • Eye Proteins/genetics*
  • Guanylate Cyclase/genetics*
  • Immunohistochemistry/methods
  • Membrane Proteins/analysis
  • Membrane Proteins/genetics
  • Mutation
  • Phosphoproteins/analysis
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate/metabolism
  • Retina/metabolism*
  • Rosette Formation
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
  • Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
PubMed
16530752 Full text @ Exp. Eye. Res.
Abstract
Proper visual function of the vertebrate retina requires the maintenance of the integrity of the retinal outer nuclear layer (ONL), which is often affected in many blinding human retinal diseases. While the structural integrity of the ONL has long been considered to be maintained primarily through the outer limiting membrane (OLM), we have little knowledge on the development and maintenance of the OLM itself. Here, by analyzing the adhering properties of photoreceptors in zebrafish N-cad and nok mutants, we demonstrated for the first time that the nok gene is essential for the establishment and/or maintenance of the OLM. In addition, our results imply the possibility that Nok, Crumbs, and their associated proteins may constitute a type of photoreceptor-photoreceptor junctional complex that has not be described before. Thus, our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which the integrity of the ONL is maintained in the vertebrate retina.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping