Regulation of retinal cone bipolar cell differentiation and photopic vision by the CVC homeobox gene Vsx1.

Akihira Ohtoshi, Steven W Wang, Hidetaka Maeda, Shannon M Saszik, Laura J Frishman, William H Klein, Richard R Behringer

Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Current biology : CB 2004 Mar 23

filter terms:

Cone bipolar cells of the vertebrate retina connect phot oreceptors with ganglion cells to mediate photopic vision. Despite this important role, the mechanisms that regulate cone bipolar cell differentiation are poorly understood. VSX1 is a CVC domain homeoprotein specifically expressed in cone bipolar cells. To determine the function of VSX1, we generated Vsx1 mutant mice and found that Vsx1 mutant retinal cells form but do not differentiate a mature cone bipolar cell phenotype. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated that Vsx1 mutant mice have defects in their cone visual pathway, whereas the rod visual pathway was unaffected. Thus, Vsx1 is required for cone bipolar cell differentiation and regulates photopic vision perception.

Citation

Akihira Ohtoshi, Steven W Wang, Hidetaka Maeda, Shannon M Saszik, Laura J Frishman, William H Klein, Richard R Behringer. Regulation of retinal cone bipolar cell differentiation and photopic vision by the CVC homeobox gene Vsx1. Current biology : CB. 2004 Mar 23;14(6):530-6