Photoreceptors have high intrinsic metabolic demand and are exquisitely sensitive to
metabolic perturbation. In addition, they shed a large portion of their outer segment lipid
membranes in a circadian manner, increasing the metabolic burden on the outer retina
associated with the resynthesis of cell membranes and disposal of the cellular cargo. Here,
we demonstrate that deletion of both ABCA1 and ABCG1 in rod photoreceptors leads to age-
related accumulation of cholesterol metabolites in the outer retina, photoreceptor …