Fig. 1.

Long-term expression of human melanopsin is achieved in the degenerate retina following subretinal delivery of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector. Flatmounts of the rd1 mouse retina assessed following immunolabeling for human OPN4 (green) at 4 mo (A) and 15 mo (B) after subretinal OPN4 vector delivery reveal widespread transduction. Labeling of human OPN4 was absent from untreated age-matched controls (C and D). (Scale bar, 500 μm.) Images A–D are composite fluorescence images each of a single mouse retina. Appropriate membrane localization of human melanopsin was evident demonstrating a network of transduced cells, with DsRed fluorescence confirming vector-driven OPN4 expression (E). (Scale bar, 25 μm.) Successful transduction of bipolar cells (labeled by PKCα, purple, F) and horizontal cells (labeled by calbindin, purple, G) using a ubiquitous promoter was evident following colabeling with OPN4 (green) and Hoechst nuclear stain (blue). (Scale bar, 25 μm.)