Figure 8.

Western blot analysis for Crx nuclear protein. (A) Western blot analysis of nuclear Crx protein (immunolabeled with antibody 119b1). The amount of Crx protein present in retinal nuclear extract was investigated by Western blot analysis from kittens at 2, 6, 12, and 20 weeks of age. Note the presence in the Crx^Rdy/+ kitten's retina of the truncated mutant Crx protein, which persisted to the 20-week-old time point, whereas the amount of WT protein had decreased by 20 weeks of age. Beta-actin was used as protein loading control. (B) Normal and mutant protein levels in Crx^Rdy/+ and WT kittens. Crx protein levels were normalized to beta-actin levels, and the Crx^Rdy/+ kitten protein levels are shown normalized to the Crx levels in the WT retinas. The level of normal protein was lower in the Crx^Rdy/+ kitten retina than in WT kittens at each age. Note high levels of the truncated mutant Crx protein compared to the amount of normal protein in Crx^Rdy/+ kitten retina and therefore the overall higher total Crx protein levels (normal plus mutant) in Crx^Rdy/+ kitten retina compared to WT kitten retina. ^†P ≤ 0.1; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 (n = 2 to 4; statistical analysis was applied only when n ≥ 3 for both the WT and the Crx^Rdy/+ kitten retina sample).