Fig. 4: mCherry-BCLXL expression prevents BAX translocation and attenuates cell loss after optic nerve crush.
From: BCLXL gene therapy moderates neuropathology in the DBA/2J mouse model of inherited glaucoma
A, B Panels showing mCherry-BCLXL and GFP-BAX expression, respectively, in a retinal whole mount from a mouse that that had undergone ONC to induce BAX activation. The cell expressing mCherry-BCLXL shows diffuse localization of GFP-BAX and the cell that is not expressing mCherry-BCLXL has punctate, translocated GFP-BAX. Scale bar = 10 µm. C A quantification of the phenomenon displayed in A, B. In this experiment, all mice were transduced with AAV2-Pgk-GFP-BAX. Half the mice also received an injection of AAV2-Pgk-mCherry-BCLXL. The percentage of GFP-BAX-labeled cells with punctate GFP-BAX was quantified 1 week after ONC in untransduced mice and mice that had been bilaterally transduced with AAV2-Pgk-mCherry-BclXL 1 month before ONC (mean ± standard deviation). Significance was determined using a one-sided t test. In all, 4–7 mice were used per group. D Cell loss was determined by quantifying the difference in nuclear density in the RGC layer of retinal wholemounts between the experimental and contralateral eye (mean ± standard deviation). In all, 6–10 mice were used per group. n.s. = not significant. *P < 0.05. **P < 0.01.
