Cullin5 Reduces Retinal Cell Death Induced by Glutamate Toxicity

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the expression in the mouse retina and the function in a retinal cell of cullin5 that is known as a protein that is associated with ubiquitilation.

Methods: The retinal sites of expressing cullin5 were determined by immunohistochemistry with a specific antibody for cullin5. Retinal cells were transfected with HA-tagged cullin5 using an adenovirus system, and retinal cells were exposed to L-glutamate with or without an over-expression of cullin5.

Results: Cullin5 was expressed in the retina of C57BL/6N mice and the retinal ganglion cell layer (RGL) of retina was strongly immunostained. Further, cullin5 was localized in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC). An over-expression of cullin5 reduced the percentage of retinal cell deaths induced by L-glutamate.

Conclusions: The expression of cullin5 on retinal cells and reduction in the percentage of dead retinal cells induced by L-glutamate suggest that cullin5 has neuroprotective properties in retinal cells.

KEYWORDS::

• Cell death
• Cullin5
• Glutamate toxicity
• Neuroprotective
• Retinal cell

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank Prof. Neeraj Agawal for providing the RGC-5 cells and Professor Duco Hamasaki for kindly helping to edit the manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.