Grant: Operating Grant

Retinal progenitor cells are immature cells that divide frequently and produce all of the neurons in the retina, such as photoreceptors. The behaviour of progenitor cells represents a fundamental process controlling the growth of the retina before and after birth. Congenital eye malformations occur at a rate of 1 to 2 per 10,000 births in Canada and can lead to severe vision impairment later in life. Furthermore, retinal growth defects after birth are estimated by the World Health Organization to account for ~18% of total blindness worldwide. Abnormal progenitor cells are thought to underlie some of these eye growth malformations. However, the connection between altered gene function and progenitor cell behaviour is not entirely clear, motivating us to pursue this issue in the present grant proposal. We will use genetic tools to understand how progenitor cells "decide" whether to divide to make more cells, or to stop dividing and mature into neurons. Furthermore, we will characterize a new gene that we discovered, which seems to play a role in maintaining the normal structure of DNA inside progenitor cells. This research will make it easier to understand how specific gene mutations alter the rate or extent of progenitor cell division during critical periods of retinal development. It will also provide new insight toward developing techniques to stimulate regeneration in the mature retina.