Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jun 28;24(13):10776. doi: 10.3390/ijms241310776.
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) performs a range of necessary functions within the neural layers of the retina and helps ensure vision. The regulation of pro-oxidative and antioxidant processes is the basis for maintaining RPE homeostasis and preventing retinal degenerative processes. Long-term stable changes in the redox balance under the influence of endogenous or exogenous factors can lead to oxidative stress (OS) and the development of a number of retinal pathologies associated with RPE dysfunction, and can eventually lead to vision loss. Reparative autophagy, ubiquitin-proteasome utilization, the repair of damaged proteins, and the maintenance of their conformational structure are important interrelated mechanisms of the endogenous defense system that protects against oxidative damage. Antioxidant protection of RPE cells is realized as a result of the activity of specific transcription factors, a large group of enzymes, chaperone proteins, etc., which form many signaling pathways in the RPE and the retina. Here, we discuss the role of the key components of the antioxidant defense system (ADS) in the cellular response of the RPE against OS. Understanding the role and interactions of OS mediators and the components of the ADS contributes to the formation of ideas about the subtle mechanisms in the regulation of RPE cellular functions and prospects for experimental approaches to restore RPE functions.
视网膜色素上皮 (RPE) 在视网膜的神经层中执行一系列必要的功能，并有助于确保视力。促氧化和抗氧化过程的调节是维持 RPE 内稳态和防止视网膜退行性过程的基础。在内源性或外源性因素的影响下，氧化还原平衡的长期稳定变化可能导致氧化应激 (OS) 和与 RPE 功能障碍相关的许多视网膜病理的发展，并最终导致视力丧失。修复性自噬、泛素-蛋白酶体的利用、受损蛋白质的修复以及它们构象结构的维持是保护免受氧化损伤的内源性防御系统的重要相互关联的机制。RPE 细胞的抗氧化保护是通过特定转录因子、一大组酶、伴侣蛋白等的活性来实现的，这些因子在 RPE 和视网膜中形成许多信号通路。在这里，我们讨论了抗氧化防御系统 (ADS) 的关键组成部分在 RPE 对 OS 的细胞反应中的作用。了解 OS 介质和 ADS 成分的作用和相互作用有助于形成关于调节 RPE 细胞功能的微妙机制的想法，并为恢复 RPE 功能的实验方法提供前景。
