The Potential Role of Flavins and Retbindin in Retinal Function and Homeostasis.

Flavins are highly concentrated in the retina; likely because they are involved as cofactors in energy metabolism and photoreceptors have an extremely high metabolic rate. How this concentration is established is currently unknown, but photoreceptor specific proteins may exist that shuttle flavins to flavoproteins, which may also function in retinal neuron specific processes. It has been suggested due to sequence homology to folate receptors that retbindin could be binding flavins in the retina. Here we present a brief overview of flavins in the retina and initial findings that suggest retbindin may be located in the photoreceptor layer where flavin acquisition from the RPE would occur.