Article Expression of Rab Prenylation Pathway Genes and Relation to Disease Progression in Choroideremia Lewis E. Fry1,2, Maria I. Patrício1,2, Jasleen K. Jolly1,2,KanminXue1,2,and Robert E. MacLaren1,2 1 Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford,UK 2 Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK Correspondence: Lewis E. Fry, Purpose: Choroideremia results from the deficiency of Rab Escort Protein 1 (REP1), Nuffield Department of Clinical encoded by CHM, involved in the prenylation of Rab GTPases. Here, we investigate Neuroscience, Level 6, West Wing, whether the transcription and expression of other genes involved in the prenylation John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 of Rab proteins correlates with disease progression in a cohort of patients with choroi- 9DU, UK. deremia. e-mail:
[email protected]. Methods: Rates of retinal pigment epithelial area loss in 41 patients with choroideremia Received: February 9, 2021 were measured using fundus autofluorescence imaging for up to 4 years. From lysates of Accepted: May 9, 2021 cultured skin fibroblasts donated by patients (n = 15) and controls (n = 14), CHM, CHML, Published: July 13, 2021 RABGGTB and RAB27A mRNA expression, and REP1 and REP2 protein expression were Keywords: choroideremia; rab compared. escort protein 1 (REP1); inherited Results: The central autofluorescent island area loss in patients with choroideremia retinal degeneration; prenylation; occurred with a mean half-life of 5.89 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.09–6.70), fundus autofluorescence with some patients demonstrating relatively fast or slow rates of progression (range = Citation: Fry LE, Patrício MI, Jolly JK, 3.3–14.1 years).