Ythdf2ablation protects aged retina from RGC dendrite shrinking and visual decline

Abstract

AbstractAging-related retinal degeneration and vision loss have been severely affecting the elder worldwide. Previously we showed that the m6A reader YTHDF2 is a negative regulator for dendrite development and maintenance of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in mice(Niu et al. 2022). Here, we show that conditional ablation ofYthdf2protects retina from RGC dendrite shrinking and vision loss in the aged mice. Further, we identifyHspa12aandIslr2as the YTHDF2 target mRNAs mediating these effects. Together our results indicate that m6A modification regulates retinal degeneration caused by aging, which might provide therapeutical potentials for developing new treatment approaches against aging-related vision loss.