# Regulators of retinal metabolism in healthy and degenerating retinas

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2020 · $467,066

## Abstract

Abstract:
The retina has high metabolic activity, and retinal degenerations have been associated with mitochondrial
dysfunction, dysregulation of metabolism, and toxic oxidative damage. However, little is known about how
metabolism is maintained under normal conditions or is dysregulated in degenerating retinas. AMPK (AMP-
activated protein kinase) is a key regulator of metabolism in highly metabolic tissues and is a candidate to
regulate metabolism in photoreceptors, and its role in retinal metabolism will be rigorously studied in this
proposed project using both gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches. Peroxisome proliferator-activated
receptor gamma coactivator-alpha (PGC-1α) and beta (PGC-1β) are key regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis.
Adenosine monophosphate dependent kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator of PGC-1 activity. Our goal in
this study is to determine the roles of AMPK and PGC-1 activity in retinal photoreceptors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10028851
- **Project number:** 1R01EY031720-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** John D Ash
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $467,066
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10028851

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10028851, Regulators of retinal metabolism in healthy and degenerating retinas (1R01EY031720-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10028851. Licensed CC0.

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