title: In vivo analysis of cone survival in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify individual cone photoreceptors in a transgenic mouse line in vivo based on selective expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) using cSLO (confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy) and to use this approach to monitor cone cell fate in mouse models of retinal degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transgenic mice expressing GFP under the control of a red-green opsin promoter (RG-GFP mice) were analyzed in vivo with respect to GFP expression in cone cells using cSLO and functional integrity using electroretinography (ERG). Histology was performed to correlate the pattern of GFP expression with light microscopic data. Longitudinal monitoring of cone survival was evaluated in crossbreds of RG-GFP mice with cpfl1 and Rpe65(-/-) mutant mice, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found that RG-GFP transgenic mice had a stable GFP expression that did not interfere with retinal function up to at least 3 months of age. Thus, a longitudinal analysis of cone degeneration in individual RG cpfl1 and RG Rpe65(-/-) cross-bred mice in vivo was successfully performed and demonstrated distinct time frames of cone survival in the particular mouse model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring GFP expression in cone photoreceptor cells, such as in the RG-GFP mouse, is a promising in vivo approach for the analysis of cone survival in mice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. susanne.beck@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Susanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schaeferhoff
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michalakis
authors.forename: M Dominik
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Gesine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rieger
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Riess
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wissinger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonin
authors.forename: Mathias W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Seeliger
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D055358:Cone Opsins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019745:cis-trans-Isomerases; D000099178:Retinoid Isomerohydrolase
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D055358:Cone Opsins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D019745:cis-trans-Isomerases; D000099178:Retinoid Isomerohydrolase