Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41252217›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of clinical investigation2026

Retinol tracing within murine neural retina reveals cell type-specific retinol transport and distribution.

Zachary J Engfer, Grazyna Palczewska, Samuel W Du, Jianye Zhang, Zhiqian Dong, Carolline Rodrigues Menezes, Jun Wang, Jianming Shao, Budd A Tucker, Robert F Mullins and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of clinical investigation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Illuminating retinoid flux in the neurosensory retina.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Zachary J EngferBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Grazyna PalczewskaBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Samuel W DuBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Jianye ZhangBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Zhiqian DongBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Carolline Rodrigues MenezesBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Jun WangDepartment of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Jianming ShaoDepartment of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Budd A TuckerDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Robert F MullinsDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Rui ChenBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Philip D KiserBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.
Krzysztof PalczewskiBrunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and.

Funding

STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF ARRESTINSR01EY009339 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI KISER, PHILIP DAVID, PALCZEWSKI, KRZYSZTOF · 1992 to 2025
$16.0M
MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAMT32GM008620 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI GOLDIN, ALAN L · 1999 to 2023
$8.1M
NEI UCI Center Core Grant for Vision ResearchP30EY034070 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Vladimir Jivkov Kefalov · 2022 to 2026
$3.7M
Chemical Biology of the Visual PigmentsR01EY034519 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Philip David Kiser, Krzysztof Palczewski · 2023 to 2026
$2.0M
Molecular Studies of the Choriocapillaris in AMDR01EY033308 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · PI Robert Foster Mullins, TODD E SCHEETZ · 2022 to 2026
$1.9M
microRNA-204 and microRNA-211 regulation of RPE phagocytosisF30EY033642 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Samuel Wang Du · 2022 to 2026
$241k
Recapitulation of the two-cell visual cycle in photoreceptors and its effects on retinoid flux and remedy of toxic retinoid speciesF31EY034027 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI ENGFER, ZACHARY JOHN · 2022 to 2024
$128k
BLRD VA I01 BX004939BLRD VA IK6 BX006800NEI NIH HHS F30 EY033642NEI NIH HHS F31 EY034027NEI NIH HHS P30 EY034070NEI NIH HHS R01 EY009339NEI NIH HHS R01 EY033308NEI NIH HHS R01 EY034519NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008620
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

11-cis-Retinal is essential for light perception in mammalian photoreceptors (PRs), and aberrations in retinoid transformations cause severe retinal diseases. Understanding these processes is crucial for combating blinding diseases. The visual cycle, operating within PRs and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), regenerates 11-cis-retinal to sustain light sensitivity. Retinoids are also present in Müller glia (MG), hypothesized to supply 11-cis-retinol to cone PRs and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To trace retinoid movement through retinal cell types, we used cell-specific knockin of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), which converts retinols into stable retinyl esters (REs). Ectopic LRAT expression in murine PRs, MG, and RGCs resulted in RE synthesis, with REs differing in abundance and isomeric composition across cell types under genetic and light-based perturbations. PR inner segments showed high 11-cis-RE content, suggesting a constant 11-cis-retinoid supply for pigment regeneration. In MG expressing LRAT, all-trans-REs were detected, contrasting with 11-cis-REs in PRs. The MG-specific LRAT phenotype mirrored the RE-rich human neural retina, suggesting human MG may utilize LRAT to maintain retinoid reservoirs. Our findings reveal tightly controlled retinoid flux throughout the mammalian retina that supports sustained vision, expanding understanding of the visual cycle to combat retinal diseases.

Indexed as

Ependymoglial CellsRetinaRetinal Ganglion CellsVitamin AAcyltransferasesAnimalsBiological TransportGene Knock-In TechniquesMiceMice, TransgenicRetinal Pigment EpitheliumAcyltransferaseslecithin-retinol acyltransferaseVitamin ACell biologyOphthalmologyRetinopathy

Identifiers

PMID41252217
PMCPMC12867154

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.