Ds. Sakaguchi et al., BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR (FGF-2) INDUCED TRANSDIFFERENTIATION OF RETINAL-PIGMENT EPITHELIUM - GENERATION OF RETINAL NEURONS AND GLIA, Developmental dynamics, 209(4), 1997, pp. 387-398
In the present study we report that basic fibroblast growth factor (bF
GF, FGF-2) promotes the transdifferentiation of Xenopus laevis larval
retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) into neural retina, Using specific an
tibodies we have examined the cellular composition of the regenerated
retinal tissue, Our results show that, in addition to retinal neurons
and photoreceptors, glial cells were also regenerated from the transdi
fferentiated RPE, These results were specific to FGF-2, since other fa
ctors that were tested, including acidic FGF (aFGF, FGF-1), epidermal
growth factor (EGF), laminin, ECL, and Matrigel, exhibited no activity
in inducing retinal regeneration, These results are the first in amph
ibians demonstrating the functional role of FGF-2 in inducing RPE tran
sdifferentiation. Transplantation studies were carried out to investig
ate retinal regeneration from the RPE in an in vivo environment, Sheet
s of RPE implanted into the lens-less eyes of larval hosts transformed
into neurons and glial cells only when under the influence of host re
tinal factors, In contrast, no retinal transdifferentiation occurred i
f the RPE was implanted into the enucleated orbit. Taken together, the
se results show that the amphibian RPE is capable of transdifferentiat
ion into neuronal and glial cell-phenotypes and implicate FGF-2 as an
important factor in inducing retinal regeneration in vitro. (C) 1997 W
iley-Liss, Inc.