Cone outer segment shedding in the goldfish retina characterized with the 3H-fucose technique

After an intravitreal injection of 3H-fucose, red- and blue-sensitive cone outer segments (OSs) in the goldfish retina became heavily labeled, green-sensitive cone OSs showed light labeling, and rod OSs showed virtually no labeling. Fish were maintained in white light (light/dark: 12 hr/12 hr; 6 to 10 weeks) and were injected with 3H-fucose 24 hr before sacrifice. After light onset, only phagosomes with no label were found in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE); after light offset, phagosomes with heavy, light, or no label were found in the RPE. A broad peak of cone OS shedding derived from all cone types was found beginning 2 hr after light offset and returning to baseline levels after 12 hr, with a maximum at 4 to 6 hr. When the white light was replaced with red light during the final 24 hr (irradiance matched to the white light at 625 nm), the green cones showed a reduction in shedding by 62%, the rods showed a 48% reduction in shedding, and the number of heavily labeled phagosomes was reduced by 24% (a value that may reflect normal and red cone shedding and a reduction in blue cone shedding). The results suggest that chromatic stimulation during the light period may influence the shedding response of a given class of cone OS. Finally, the 3H-fucose technique is useful for determination of the photoreceptor OS from which a given phagosome in the RPE originates in this species.