SPATIOTEMPORAL PATTERN OF OCULAR CLUSTERIN MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN THE RD MOUSE

To define the relationship between progressive photoreceptor degenerat ion and clusterin upregulation, we analysed the spatio-temporal distri bution and level of clusterin mRNA in the retinal degeneration (rd) mo use. Expression was increased in the retinal pigment epithelium and in ner retina, but not detected in the photoreceptors. These results indi cate that increased clusterin mRNA is not causally involved in apoptot ic mechanisms of photoreceptor death but may relate to lipid-recycling or cytoprotective functions.