FIGURE 7.

RPE-specific deletion of BSG1. A, Immunofluorescent labeling of flatmounts of RPE from control and RPEΔBsg mice label with antibodies to BSG (green) and Cre (red) (scale bar = 100 µm). B, Western blot of lysates from control and RPEΔBsg RPE. C, BAF-cSLO demonstrates the increase in hyperfluorescent foci in RPEΔBsg. D, SD-OCT images of control and RPEΔBsg retina in 10-month-old RPEΔBsg. Red asterisk indicates retinal detachment. E, Representative H&E stained retinal cross sections of control and RPEΔBsg at 26 weeks of age (scale bar = 25 µm). F, Disorganized and enlarged RPE cells in RPEΔBsg flatmounts stained with ZO-1. All images are representative of N = 3 experiments (scale bar = 100 µm). Representative dark-adapted G) and light-adapted H) ERGs (left) and summary luminance-response functions right obtained from control and RPEΔBsg littermates at 17 weeks of age. Values to the left of each pair of waveforms indicates flash strength in log cd s/m². Calibration indicates 500 µV and 100 ms. Data points indicate average (±SEM) for 30 control and 6 RPEΔBsg mice