Developmental changes of MEKA protein and opsin in normal and rd mice.

Antisera raised against photoreceptor-specific MEKA and opsin proteins were provided for immunohistochemical studies on the retinas of normal (BJ57BL/6) and retinal degeneration (rd, C3H/He) mice. The expression of MEKA protein began at postnatal day 6 (P6) in the photoreceptor cells and gradually increased until P10 in both normal and rd mice. Thereafter the MEKA proteins in the photoreceptor cells of rd mice gradually decreased and disappeared at P18, whereas those of normal mice were increasing until P18. The time course of MEKA proteins in the photoreceptor cells of normal and rd mice was almost similar to that of opsin protein, except that the MEKA protein disappeared earlier than opsin.