Figure 7. Expression of NRL partially rescues the Rip mutant phenotype.

(A) Immunoblot analysis using retinal extracts from P2, P6, P10, P21 Crx^+/+ and Crx^Rip/+ mouse retinas that were probed with anti-NRL antibody. Anti-actin antibody was used as a loading control. (B) Dark-adapted ERG recording in 1-month-old Crxp::Nrl;Crx^+/+ and Crxp::Nrl;Crx^Rip/+ mice. (C) Immunolabeling analysis of RHO (green) and peripherin (red) in 1-month-old Crxp::Nrl;Crx^+/+ and Crxp::Nrl;Crx^Rip/+ mice. Scale bar: 40 μm. (D) Methacrylate sections followed by H&E staining on 1-month-old Crxp::Nrl;Crx^+/+ and Crxp::Nrl;Crx^Rip/+ mice. Scale bar: 40 μm. (E) Differential expression analysis by qPCR of photoreceptor transcription factors (Crx, Nrl, Nr2e3, Err) and genes involved in rod (Gnat1, Rho, Cnga1) or cone (Arr3) phototransduction. For each gene, all values were expressed as mean ± SEM from 3 biological replicates and compared to mRNA expression of WT mice after normalizing by the average expression of 2 housekeeping genes: Act and Hprt.