| | Inherited retinal degeneration: basic FGF induces phagocytic competence in cultured RPE cells from RCS ratsReceived 17 March 1997; received in revised form 28 April 1997 Abstract In RCS rats, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is defective in phagocytosis of photoreceptor membranes. We have previously shown reduced expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the RPE of 7–10-day-old RCS rats. This study using primary RPE cultures from rats of this age demonstrates that the phagocytic defect in the mutant RPE can be overcome by treatment with bFGF, by a mechanism involving gene transcription and that normal RPE phagocytosis, also requiring transcription, is blocked by a bFGF neutralizing antibody. The combined data point to a role for bFGF in the normal mechanism of RPE phagocytosis and the RCS defect. a Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA b Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA  Corresponding author. c/o Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, 1638 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Fax: (305) 667-9929. E-mail: glab@mednet.med.miami.edu
PII: S0014-5793(97)00566-8 © 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies | |
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