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Updated: Jun 15, 2025

A Protocol to Evaluate and Quantify Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Pathologies in Mouse Models of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published on: March 10, 2023
Activated mTOR Signaling in the RPE Drives EMT, Autophagy, and Metabolic Disruption, Resulting in AMD-Like Pathology
Olivia Chowdhury1, Sridhar Bammidi1, Pooja Gautam1
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
None:
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1/2) are crucial for various physiological functions. Although the role of mTORC1 in retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) homeostasis and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis is established, the function of mTORC2 remains unclear. We investigated both complexes in RPE health and disease. Therefore, in this study, we have attempted to demonstrate that the specific overexpression of mammalian lethal with Sec13 protein 8 (mLST8) in the mouse RPE activates both mTORC1 and mTORC2, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like changes and subretinal/RPE deposits resembling early AMD-like pathogenesis. Aging in these mice leads to RPE degeneration, causing retinal damage, impaired debris clearance, and metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction. Inhibition of mTOR with TORIN1 in vitro or βA3/A1-crystallin in vivo normalized mTORC1/2 activity and restored function, revealing a novel role for the mTOR complexes in regulating RPE function, impacting retinal health and disease.
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