Identification of biomarker proteins in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) under oxidative stress may imply new insights into signaling mechanisms of retinal degeneration at the molecular level. Proteomic data from an in vivo mice model in constant light and an in vitro oxidative stress model are compared to controls under normal conditions. Our proteomic study shows that prohibitin is involved in oxidative stress signaling in the retina and RPE. The identity of prohibitin in the retina and RPE was studied using 2D electrophoresis, immunohistochemistry, western blot, and mass spectrometry analysis. Comparison of expression levels with apoptotic markers as well as translocation between mitochondria and the nucleus imply that the regulation of prohibitin is an early signaling event in the RPE and retina under oxidative stress. Immunohistochemical analysis of murine aged and diabetic eyes further suggests that the regulation of prohibitin in the RPE/retina is related to aging- and diabetes-induced oxidative stress. Our proteomic approach implies that prohibitin in the RPE and the retina could be a new biomarker protein of oxidative stress in aging and diabetes.
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