Function of atypical protein kinase C λ in differentiating photoreceptors is required for proper lamination of mouse retina

The photoreceptor is a highly polarized neuron and also has epithelial characteristics such as adherens junctions. To investigate the mechanisms of polarity formation of the photoreceptor cells, we conditionally knocked out atypical protein kinaseC lambda(aPKC lambda), which has been proposed to play a critical role in the establishment of epithelial and neuronal polarity, in differentiating photoreceptor cells using the Cre-loxP system. In aPKC lambda conditional knock-out(CKO) mice, the photoreceptor cells displayed morphological defects and failed to form ribbon synapses. Intriguingly, lack of aPKC lambda in differentiating photoreceptors led to severe laminar disorganization not only in the photoreceptor layer but also in the entire retina. Cell fate determination was not affected by total laminar disorganization. After Cre recombinase began to be expressed in the developing photoreceptors at embryonic day 12.5, both the immature photoreceptors and mitotic progenitors were dispersed throughout the CKO retina. We detected that adherens junction formation between the immature photoreceptors and the progenitors was lost in the CKO retina, whereas it was maintained between the progenitors themselves. These results indicate that the expression of aPKC lambda in differentiating photoreceptors is required for total retinal lamination. Our data suggest that properly polarized photoreceptors anchor progenitors at the apical edge of the neural retina, which may be essential for building correct laminar organization of the retina.