title: Kinesin-2 and photoreceptor cell death: requirement of motor subunits.
abstract: Kinesin-2 function is essential for photoreceptor cell viability. The removal of one of the kinesin-2 motor proteins, KIF3A, by photoreceptor-specific conditional mutagenesis, has been shown to cause rapid photoreceptor cell degeneration. We have explored the possibility that the genes encoding the kinesin-2 motor proteins (KIF3A, KIF3B, and KIF3C)are linked to retinal disease, by examining retinas of knockout mice. We conclude that the reduced KIF3A and KIF3B in heterozygous animals, or the complete absence of KIF3C in homozygous animals does not affect photoreceptor cell survival. Photoreceptor cell death seems to be limited to conditions that, if systemic, are embryonic lethal, indicating that reduced function of the kinesin-2 motor genes is unlikely to underlie inherited retinal degeneration.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jimeno
authors.forename: Concepcion
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lillo
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Lawrence S B
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D016547:Kinesins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D016547:Kinesins