Retinal light damage microarray

Microarray analysis of murine retinal light damage reveals changes in iron regulatory, complement, and antioxidant genes in the neurosensory retina and isolated retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). With the advent of microarrays representing most of the transcriptome and techniques to obtain RNA from the isolated RPE monolayer, we have probed the response of the RPE and neurosensory retina (NSR) to light damage. Mice were exposed to 10,000 lux cool white fluorescent light for 18 hours and sacrificed 4 hours after photic injury. NSR and isolated RPE were collected, and RNA was isolated. DNA microarray hybridization was conducted as described in the Affymetrix GeneChip Expression Analysis Technical Manual. Microarray analysis was performed using probe intensity data derived from the Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Array. For the genes of interest, confirmation of gene expression was done using quantitative real-time PCR. Immunofluorescence assessed protein levels and localization.