title: Presence of L-kynurenine aminotransferase III in retinal ganglion cells and corpora amylacea in the human retina and optic nerve.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corpora amylacea (CAm) are a hallmark of aging and neurodegeneration. The presence of kynurenine aminotransferases I and II (KAT I and II) in CAm in the human retina and optic nerve has been already shown. The present study aimed to examine kynurenine aminotransferase III (KAT III) immunoreactivity in CAm in the human retina and optic nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polyclonal antibody against KAT III was used on sections of human eyes enucleated due to malignant uveal melanoma. PAS-stained sections of CAm were compared with KAT III stained ones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  KAT III immunoreactivity was observed in CAm in the retina, prelaminar, laminar and retrolaminar region of the optic nerve with similar location to PAS-stained sections. The most intense staining was observed in the retrolaminar part of the optic nerve. KAT III immunoreactivity was also present in the cytoplasm of retinal ganglion cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of KAT III in CAm in the human retina and optic nerve indicates that this enzyme may be relevant in mechanisms of neurodegeneration leading to CAm formation.
authors.affiliation: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Ophthalmology, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rejdak
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rummelt
authors.forename: Eberhart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zrenner
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grieb
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rejdak
authors.forename: Etsuo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thaler
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowomiejska
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Turski
authors.forename: Anselm Gm
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Junemann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C019969:S-alkylcysteine lyase