The oscillatory expression of Notch signaling in neural progenitors suggests that both repressors and activators of neural fate specification are expressed in the same progenitors. Since Notch1 regulates photoreceptor differentiation and contributes (together with Notch3) to ganglion cell fate specification, we hypothesized that genes encoding photoreceptor and ganglion cell fate activators would be highly expressed in Notch1 receptor-bearing (Notch1+) progenitors, directing these cells to differentiate into photoreceptors or into ganglion cells when Notch1 activity is diminished. To identify these genes, we used microarray analysis to study expression profiles of whole retinas and isolated from them Notch1+ cells at embryonic day 14 (E14) and postnatal day 0 (P0). To isolate Notch1+ cells, we utilized immunomagnetic cell separation. We also used Notch3 knockout (Notch3KO) animals to evaluate the contribution of Notch3 signaling in ganglion cell differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of 6,301 differentially expressed genes showed that Notch1+ cells grouped near the same developmental stage retina cluster. At E14, we found higher expression of repressors (Notch1, Hes5) and activators (Dll3, Atoh7, Otx2) of neuronal differentiation in Notch1+ cells compared to whole retinal cell populations. At P0, Notch1, Hes5, and Dll1 expression was significantly higher in Notch1+ cells than in whole retinas. Otx2 expression was more than thirty times higher than Atoh7 expression in Notch1+ cells at P0. We also observed that retinas of wild type animals had only 14% (P < 0.05) more ganglion cells compared to Notch3KO mice. Since this number is relatively small and Notch1 has been shown to contribute to ganglion cell fate specification, we suggested that Notch1 signaling may play a more significant role in RGC development than the Notch3 signaling cascade. Finally, our findings suggest that Notch1+ progenitors—since they heavily express both pro-ganglion cell (Atoh7) and pro-photoreceptor cell (Otx2) activators—can differentiate into either ganglion cells or photoreceptors.

Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) plays an important role in ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced retinal inflammation and damage. However, the role of two Tlr4-dependent signaling cascades, Myd88 and Trif, in retinal IR injury was poorly understood. In this study we investigated the contribution of the Myd88 and Trif signaling cascades in retinal damage and inflammation triggered by IR using Myd88 and Trif knockout (Myd88KO and TrifKO) mice. Retinal IR injury was induced by unilateral elevation of intraocular pressure for 45 minutes by direct corneal cannulation. To study IR-induced retinal neuronal (RGC) death in vitro, we used an oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) model. Our data suggested that Myd88 was present in many retinal layers of sham-operated and ischemic animals, while Trif was largely present in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The level of Myd88 was increased in the retina after IR. We found that retinas of TrifKO animals had a significantly reduced neurotoxic pro-inflammatory response and a significantly increased survival of the GCL neurons after IR. Although Myd88KO animals had relatively low levels of inflammation in ischemic retinas, their levels of IR-induced retinal damage were notably higher than those of the TrifKO animals. We also found that Trif-deficient RGCs were more resistant to death induced by OGD than were RGCs isolated from Myd88KO animals. These data suggested that, compared to the Myd88-dependent signaling cascade, Trif signaling contributes significantly to retinal damage after IR.

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Since axon damage and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss lead to blindness, therapies that increase RGC survival and axon regrowth have direct clinical relevance. Given that NFκB signaling is critical for neuronal survival and may regulate neurite growth, we investigated the therapeutic potential of NFκB signaling in RGC survival and axon regeneration. Although both NFκB subunits (p65 and p50) are present in RGCs, p65 exists in an inactive (unphosphorylated) state when RGCs are subjected to neurotoxic conditions. In this study, we used a phosphomimetic approach to generate DNA coding for an activated (phosphorylated) p65 (p65mut), then employed an adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) to deliver the DNA into RGCs. We tested whether constitutive p65mut expression prevents death and facilitates neurite outgrowth in RGCs subjected to transient retinal ischemia or optic nerve crush (ONC), two models of neurotoxicity. Our data indicate that RGCs treated with AAV2-p65mut displayed a significant increase in survival compared to controls in ONC model (77±7% vs. 25±3%, P-value=0.0001). We also found protective effect of modified p65 in RGCs of ischemic retinas (55±12% vs. 35±6), but not to a statistically significant degree (P-value=0.14). We did not detect a difference in axon regeneration between experimental and control animals after ONC. These findings suggest that increased NFκB signaling in RGCs attenuates retinal damage in animal models of neurodegeneration, but insignificantly impacts axon regeneration.

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Background: Homocystinuria is an autosomal recessively inherited defect of methionine catabolism. This rare condition causes abnormal accumulation of homocysteine in the blood and urine that is not typically found in significant quantities. While elevated homocysteine levels can cause damage to multiple organ systems, they most often affect the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, ocular, and central nervous systems. Nearly 20% of affected individuals who are untreated die from thrombotic complications before the age of 30.

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