Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA; email:
Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA; email:
Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2020 Sep 15;6:149-169. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-121219-081730.
Photoreceptors are highly specialized sensory neurons with unique metabolic and physiological requirements. These requirements are partially met by Müller glia and cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which provide essential metabolites, phagocytose waste, and control the composition of the surrounding microenvironment. A third vital supporting cell type, the retinal microglia, can provide photoreceptors with neurotrophic support or exacerbate neuroinflammation and hasten neuronal cell death. Understanding the physiological requirements for photoreceptor homeostasis and the factors that drive microglia to best promote photoreceptor survival has important implications for the treatment and prevention of blinding degenerative diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.
感光细胞是具有独特代谢和生理需求的高度特化的感觉神经元。Müller 胶质细胞和视网膜色素上皮细胞（RPE）部分满足这些需求，它们提供必需的代谢物、吞噬废物，并控制周围微环境的组成。第三种重要的支持细胞类型是视网膜小胶质细胞，它可以为感光细胞提供神经营养支持，也可以加剧神经炎症并加速神经元细胞死亡。了解感光细胞动态平衡的生理需求以及促使小胶质细胞最佳促进感光细胞存活的因素，对于治疗和预防致盲退行性疾病如色素性视网膜炎和年龄相关性黄斑变性具有重要意义。
