Skip to main content
. 2021 Jan 25;6(2):e145029. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.145029

Figure 5. Scanning EM analysis of RPE from WT, rd1, and rd1 mice rescued with AAV-Best1-Nrf2.

Figure 5

(A) Representative scanning EM photomicrographs of P30 RPE flat mounts from a WT (CD1) mice (n = 3). RPE cells were uniform in size and shape and formed a hexagonal array of cells within the flat mount (left panel). The yellow hexagonal outline designates a single cell (middle panel). Extensive long processes formed a dense carpet of microvilli across the entire apical surface of the RPE (right panel). (B) Representative scanning EM photomicrographs of a P30 RPE flat mount from an rd1 retina injected with AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP (n = 5). Cells were highly variable in size and shape (left panel). Large cells exhibited no apical processes with smooth apical surfaces, and cells had short apical processes (middle panel, white arrowheads). There were large areas of deterioration noted in the entire flat mount where the cells appear to have died, as indicated by cellular debris (left panel, black arrowheads; middle panel, white arrowheads). (C) Representative scanning EM photomicrographs of P30 RPE flat mount from retinas rd1 coinjected with AAV-Best1-Nrf2 and AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP (n = 3). Uniform geometry of polygonal RPE with dense carpet of intact microvilli. (D) Representative scanning EM photomicrographs of P45 RPE flat mount from rd1 eyes injected with AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP (n = 3). Cells were highly variable in size and shape, and there were large areas of cellular debris (left panel). Cells exhibited no apical processes with smooth apical surfaces (right panel). (E) Representative scanning EM photomicrographs of P45 RPE flat mount from retinas rd1 coinjected with AAV-Best1-Nrf2 and AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP (n = 3). Polygonal RPE with well-preserved microvilli remained intact at P45. Scale bars: 10 μm. (F) Quantification of fraction of RPE surface area at P30 with well-preserved microvilli and areas of RPE with no apparent live RPE cells, injected with AAV-Best1-Nrf2 and AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP at P1 or noninjected (n = 3–5 mice/group). (G) Quantification of fraction of RPE surface area at P45 with well-preserved microvilli and areas of RPE with no apparent live RPE cells, injected with AAV-Best1-Nrf2 and AAV-hRedO-H2b-GFP at P1 (n = 3 mice/group). Data shown as mean ± SEM. ***P<0.0001 by 1-way ANOVA.