SARM1 deficiency promotes rod and cone photoreceptor cell survival in a model of retinal degeneration

• DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900618
• Publication Date: 2020-04-20T18:19:27Z
• Authors: Ema Ozaki; Luke Gibbons; Nuno GB Neto; Paul Kenna; Michael Carty; Marian Humphries; Pete Humphries; Matthew Campbell; Michael Monaghan; Andrew Bowie; Sarah L Doyle
• Keywords: Photoreceptor cell; Degeneration (medical); Electroretinography

Retinal degeneration is the leading cause of incurable blindness worldwide and characterised by progressive loss light-sensing photoreceptors in neural retina. SARM1 known for its role axonal degeneration, but a photoreceptor cell has not been reported. to mediate neuronal through depletion essential metabolite NAD induction energy crisis. Here, we demonstrate that expressed photoreceptors, using retinal tissue explant, confirm activation causes destruction pools layer. Through generation rho-/-sarm1-/- double knockout mice, genetic deletion promotes both rod cone survival rhodopsin (rho-/- ) mouse model degeneration. Finally, deficiency preserves visual function surviving when assayed electroretinography. Overall, our data indicate endogenous capacity consume cells identifies previously unappreciated SARM1-dependent death