Transdifferentiation and survival of neural retina cells in relation to illumination

Cultures of chicken embryo neural retina cells were exposed to light of different intensities and colours, in order to identify the wavelengths that promote cell degeneration and transdifferentiation into pigment epithelium. Blue and green light caused cell death; blue, green and yellow light enhanced transdifferentiation; red light had no effect. The relevance of these findings to retinal degeneration in man and the possible mediation of rhodopsin, riboflavin and other chromophores are discussed.