[RPE melanosomes bind A2E fluorophore of lipofuscin granules and products of its photooxidation].

The ability of melanosomes from human, bovine and frog retinal pigment epithelium cells (RPE) to bind A2E fluorophore of RPE lipofuscin granules and products of A2E photooxidation is investigated. RPE melanosomes are found to bind A2E molecules themselves as well as the molecules formed after A2E irradiation by visible light. In our experiments single melanosome was able to bind up to 0.08 fmol A2E. Antioxidant activity of melanosomes is compared to antioxidant activity of their complexes with A2E. It is shown by luminal chemiluminescence quenching in the presence of hydrogen peroxide that in A2E/melanosomes complex the chemiluminescence quenching is not significantly reduced. Comparison of inhibitory activity of melanosomes and their complexes with A2E on UV-induced (light conditions) and Fe(2+)-ascorbate-induced (dark conditions) peroxidation of photoreceptor outer segments (POS) demonstrated that bound A2E does not affect inhibitory ability of melanosomes in both systems. Thus, binding of A2E to RPE melanosomes in concentrations from 0.01 to 0.1 fmol A2E per melanosome does not significantly alter their antioxidant properties. It is supposed that both A2E and hydrophilic products of its photooxidation could be bound by RPE melanosomes and, thus, it lost the ability to exhibit toxic properties.