title: Effect of light on global gene expression in the neuroglobin-deficient mouse retina.
abstract: Several previous studies have raised controversy over the functional role of neuroglobin (Ngb) in the retina. Certain studies indicate a significant impact of Ngb on retinal physiology, whereas others are conflicting. The present is an observational study that tested the effect of Ngb deficiency on gene expression in dark- and light-adapted mouse retinas. Large-scale gene expression profiling was performed using GeneChip®Mouse Exon 1.0 ST arrays and the results were compared to publicly available data sets. The lack of Ngb was found to have a minor effect on the light-induced retinal gene expression response. In addition, there was no increase in the expression of marker genes associated with hypoxia, endoplasmic reticulum-stress and oxidative stress in the Ngb-deficient retina. By contrast, several genes were identified that appeared to be differentially expressed between the genotypes when the effect of light was ignored. The present study indicates that Ngb deficiency does not lead to major alternations in light-dependent gene expression response, but leads to subtle systemic differences of a currently unknown functional significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia ; Quretec Ltd, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia.
authors.forename: Sten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilmjärv
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia ; The Centre for Disease Models and Biomedical Imaging, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia.
authors.forename: Riin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reimets
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia ; The Centre for Disease Models and Biomedical Imaging, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia ; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen 2400, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian Ansgar
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hundahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia ; The Centre for Disease Models and Biomedical Imaging, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luuk
keywords: gene expression; knockout; microarray; neuroglobin; retina