RPE65 surface epitopes, protein interactions, and expression in rod- and cone-dominant species.

Abstract

The identification of RPE65 surface exposed antigenic determinants represents a first step toward understanding RPE65 structure and its interaction with visual cycle proteins, and provides a means for the purification of the native protein. The finding that RPE65 immunoreactivity is present in the RPE and not retina of both rod- and cone-dominant species does not support a proposed direct role for RPE65 in cone cell function.