Cellular Origin of Fundus Autofluorescence in Patients and Mice with Defective NR2E3 Gene

Aim: To characterize new clinical features in a family with enhanced S-cone syndrome (ESCS) and investigate the pathogenesis of these clinical features in the homozygous Nr2e3 rd7rd7 ( rd7 ) mutant mice. Methods: Four patients from an affected family were included for genotypic and phenotypic study. Eye tissues from rd7 mice were used to detect a possible relationship between macrophages and autofluorescent material by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: Homozygous mutation in R311Q in NR2E3 was detected in this family. Color photographs revealed that white dots do not correlate to hyperautofluorescent spots seen in autofluorescence imaging of the macula. OCT showed rosette-like lesions similar to those found in rd7 mice histology sections. From IHC analysis, we observed that F4/80 (a pan macrophage marker), and autofluorescence were co-localized to the same cells within the retina rosettes. Conclusions: Retinal structure of a young ESCS patient with homozygous R311Q mutation in the NR2E3 gene is similar to that seen in the rd7 mice. The macrophages were found to contain autofluorescent materials in the retinal rosettes of rd7 mice. Our data are consistent with macrophage infiltration contributing to the hyper-autofluorescent spots found in our patients.