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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Methylnitrosourea MNU-induced Retinal Degeneration and Regeneration in the Zebrafish: Histological and Functional Characteristics
Published on: October 20, 2014
Long non-coding RNA MEG3 silencing protects against light-induced retinal degeneration
Yun-Xi Zhu1, Jin Yao1, Chang Liu2
1Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Abstract:
Excessive light exposure leads to retinal degeneration and accelerates the progression and severity of several ocular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of photoreceptor development and ocular diseases. In this study, we investigated the role of lncRNA-MEG3 in light-induced retinal degeneration. MEG3 expression was significantly up-regulated after light insult in vivo and in vitro. MEG3 silencing protected against light-induced retinal degeneration in vivo and light-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistically, MEG3 regulated retinal photoreceptor cell function by acting as p53 decoy. MEG3 silencing decreased caspase 3/7 activity, up-regulated anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) expression, and down-regulated pro-apoptotic protein (Bax) expression. Taken together, this study provides a promising method of MEG3 silencing for treating light-induced retinal degeneration.
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