PGC-1α signaling coordinates susceptibility to metabolic and oxidative injury in the inner retina.

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), used as a common model of central nervous system injury, are particularly vulnerable to metabolic and oxidative damage. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this sensitivity have not been determined in vivo . PGC-1α (encoded by PPARGC1A ) regulates adaptive metabolism and oxidative stress responses in a tissue- and cell-specific manner. Aberrant PGC-1α signaling is implicated in neurodegeneration, but the mechanism underlying its role in central nervous system injury remains unclear. We provide evidence from a mouse model that PGC-1α expression and activity are induced in adult retina in response to metabolic and oxidative challenge. Deletion of Ppargc1a d…