Proliferation and progenitor cell formation in adult mammalian Müller glia cells
Purpose: Adult mammalian Müller glia (MG) typically undergo a gliotic response after injury that inhibits neuronal regeneration. Here, we tested whether the a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist PNU-282987 can promote MG proliferation and progenitor formation. Methods: Primary retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were treated with 100 nM PNU-282987 or 1% DMSO, then co-cultured with primary MG cells. RNA was extracted, sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq X platform, and mapped to the Mus musculus (GRCm39) genome. Differential expression was assessed with edgeR (|log2FC| = 1, padj = 0.05). Results: Thousands of significantly differentially expressed genes (sDEGs) were identified, including genes associated with progenitor formation, retinal development, and regeneration. Selected targets were validated by RT-qPCR. Conclusion:PNU-282987 treatment induced transcriptomic changes in MG cells consistent with progenitor formation and regenerative signaling, with more robust effects than those observed in immortalized MG lines.