Fig. 1.

Induction of retina-specific genes in human dermal fibroblasts by the retroviral infection of genes for defined transcription factors. a RT-PCR analysis for photoreceptor-specific genes. In human dermal fibroblasts of three normal volunteers (N#1, N#2, N#3), blue opsin, rhodopsin, recoverin, S-antigen and PDE6C genes were induced by CRX, RAX, NeuroD and OTX2 transduction 10 days after gene transduction. Skin was excised from two different areas. One (PA) was excised from the periauricular area and another (E) was excised from the elbow. “Human retina”: a human retinal tissue as a positive control. b RT-PCR analysis for the EYS gene. The regions for exon 4–11, exon 10–13, and exon 25–26 of the EYS gene were amplified. The EYS genes were expressed in dermal fibroblasts derived from both the periauricular area and the elbow 10 days after gene transduction. “NC”: fibroblasts without gene transduction, “CRN”: CRX, RAX and NeuroD transduction, “CRNO”: CRX, RAX, NeuroD and OTX2 transduction