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. 2013 Apr 30;8(4):e63205. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063205

Figure 3. CHOP ablation in P30 T17M RHO retinas modulates the expression of Rhodopsin (m-Rho and h-Rho) and photoreceptor-specific transcription factor (Crx and Nrl) genes.

Figure 3

We analyzed 4 groups of animals (N = 6) and found differences in the expression levels of Crx, Nrl and RHO (mRho and T17M RHO). A: mRho and T17M RHO expression was modulated in T17M RHO CHOP−/− retinas. The relative expression of endogenous mouse Rho was 0.9±0.03 in wild-type; 0.9±0.06 in CHOP−/−; 0.4±0.03 in T17M RHO; and 0.02±0.01 in T17M RHO CHOP−/− mice. The differences between wild-type and T17M RHO or T17M RHO CHOP−/− and CHOP−/− and T17M RHO or T17M RHO CHOP−/− were statistically significant (P<0.001). The 96% reduction of endogenous RHO gene expression, observed in T17M RHO CHOP−/− mice compared to T17M RHO mice was statistically significant (P<0.001). No difference in Crx gene expression was observed when the expression of mRho mRNA was compared in wild-type and CHOP retinas. The expression of the human T17M RHO transgene was also modulated in T17M RHO CHOP−/− mice, with a value of 1.1±0.06 in T17M RHO mice vs. 0.04±0.01 in T17M RHO CHOP−/− mice. The observed 96% reduction of transgene expression was statistically significant (P<0.0001). B: Modified Expressions of Crx and Nrl in the T17M RHO CHOP−/− retina. The relative Crx gene expression was 1.0±0.059 in wild-type; 1.1±0.1 in CHOP−/−; 0.7±0.03 in T17M RHO; and 0.3±0.02 in T17M RHO. The differences between the wild-type or CHOP−/− and T17M RHO groups were statistically significant (P<0.01), as were the differences between wild-type or CHOP−/− and T17M RHO CHOP−/− (P<0.001). The 60% reduction of Crx gene expression detected in T17M RHO CHOP−/− retinas compared to T17M RHO was statistically significant (P<0.001). No difference was observed when the wild-type and CHOP−/− retinas were compared. The level of Nrl gene expression was 1.2±0.2 in wild-type; 1.04±0.2 in CHOP−/−; 0.4±0.15 in T17M RHO; and 0.02±0.03 in T17M RHO CHOP−/−. The differences between wild-type and T17M RHO CHOP−/− and CHOP−/− and T17M RHO CHOP−/− were significant at the P<0.001 level, while those between wild-type and T17M RHO, T17M RHO and CHOP−/−, and T17M RHO and T17M RHO CHOP−/− were significant at the P<0.01 level. The 95% reduction of Nrl gene expression observed in the T17M RHO CHOP−/− compared to the T17M RHO retina was statistically significant (P<0.05). No difference in Nrl gene expression was observed when wild-type and CHOP−/− retinas were compared.