Proteomic characteristics in degenerated and regenerative mouse retina

The retina constitutes a segment of the central nervous system (CNS). Both retinal and CNS neurons lack the inherent capacity to spontaneously regenerate axons following injury. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as the neurons connecting the eyes to the brain. Diseases such as glaucoma initiate damage to RGC axons at the optic nerve, ultimately leading to cell death and irreversible vision loss. While enhancing the survival of RGCs is a crucial initial step, especially for those with pre-existing axonal injuries in the optic nerve due to prolonged insults, effective therapies should also promote axon regeneration. Neuro-regeneration and reintegration into the brain remain to be enormous challenges in neurology and ophthalmology. Despite decades of effort and resources invested in the research of neuro-regeneration, scientists are still rather far from comprehensively identifying all intrinsic axonal growth regulators and their collaborative roles. Data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) is a next-generation proteomic methodology that generates permanent digital proteome maps offering highly reproducible retrospective analysis of cellular and tissue specimens. Compared to conventional mass-spectrometry, DIA-MS provides better reproducibility and sensitivity. In this study, we employed DIA-MS to conduct a comprehensive protein expression mapping in retinas from mouse models of degeneration and regeneration, and to gain insights into the complex molecular mechanisms associated with degeneration and regeneration processes in the retina.