Publications

Selected Recent Publications

Parish CA, Hashimoto M, Nakanishi K, Dillon J, Sparrow JR.  1998.  Isolation and one-step preparation of A2E and iso-A2E, fluorophores from human retinal pigment epithelium.  PNAS (USA) 95:14609-14613.

Sparrow JR, Parish CA, Nashimoto M, Nakanishi K.  1999.  A2E, a lipofuscin fluorophore, in human retinal pigmented epithelial cells in culture.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 40:2988-2995.

Sparrow JR, Nakanishi K, Parish CA.  2000.  The lipofuscin fluorophore A2E mediates blue-light induced damage to retinal pigmented epithelial cells.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 41:1981-1989.

Liu J, Itagaki Y, Ben-Shabat S, Nakanishi K, Sparrow JR.  2000.  The biosynthesis of A2E, a fluorophore of aging retina, involves the formation of the precursor, A2-PE, in the photoreceptor outer segment membrane.  J Biol Chem 275:29354-29360.

Sparrow JR, Cai B.  2001.  Blue light induced apoptosis of A2E-containing RPE: involvement of caspase-3 and protection by Bcl-2.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 42:1356-1362.

Ben-Shabat S, Parish CA, Vollmer HR, Itagaki Y, Fishkin N, Nakanishi K, Sparrow JR.  2002.  Biosynthetic studies of A2E, a major fluorophore of RPE lipofuscin.  J Biol Chem 277:7183-7190.

Sparrow JR, Zhou J, Ben-Shabat S, Vollmer H, Itagaki Y, Nakanishi K.  2002.  Involvement of oxidative mechanisms in blue light-induced damage to A2E-laden RPE.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:1222-1227.

Ben-Shabat S, Itagaki Y, Jockusch S, Sparrow JR, Turro NJ, Nakanishi K.  2002.  Formation of a nona-oxirane from A2E, a lipofuscin fluorophore related to macular degeneration, and evidence of singlet oxygen involvement.  Angewandte Chemie 41:814-817. 

Sparrow JR, Zhou J, Cai B.  2003.  DNA is the target of the photodynamic effects elicited in A2E-laden RPE by blue light illumination.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:2245-2251.

Sparrow JR, Vollmer-Snarr  HR, Zhou J, Jang YP, Jockusch S, Itagaki Y, Nakanishi K.  2003.  A2E-epoxides damage DNA in retinal pigiment epithelial cells.  Vitamin E and other antioxidants inhibit A2E-epoxide formation.  J Biol Chem 278:18207-18213.

Fishkin N, Jang YP, Itagaki Y, Sparrow JR, Nakanishi K.  2003.  A2-rhodopsin: A new fluorophore isolated from photoreceptor outer segments.  Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry 1:1101-1105.

Sparrow JR, Fishkin N, Zhou J, Cai B, Jang YP, Krane S, Itagaki Y, Nakanishi K.  2003.  A2E, a byproduct of the visual cycle.  Vision Research 43: 2983-2990.

Sparrow JR, Miller AS, Zhou J.  2004.  A blue absorbing intraocular lens and RPE protection in vitro.  J Cataract Refract Surg 30:873-878.

Jockusch S, Ren RX, Jang YP, Itagaki Y, Vollmer-Snarr H, Sparrow JR, Nakanishi K, Turro NJ.  2004.  Photochemistry of A1E, a retinoid with a conjugated pyridinium moiety: competition between pericyclic photooxygenation and pericylization.  J Am Chem Soc 126:4646-4652.

Kim SR, Fishkin N, Kong J, Nakanishi K, Allikmets R, Sparrow JR.  2004. The Rpe65 Leu450Met variant is associated with reduced levels of the RPE lipofuscin fluorophores A2E and iso-A2E.  Proc Natl Acad Sci 101:11668-11672.

Fishkin N, Pescitelli G, Sparrow JR, Berova N, Nakanishi K.  2004. Absolute configurational determination of an all-trans-retinal dimer isolated from photoreceptor outer segments.  Chirality 16:637-641.

Zhou J, Cai B, Jang YP, Pachydaki S, Schmidt AM, Sparrow JR. 2005. Mechanisms for the induction of HNE- MDA- and AGE-adducts, RAGE and VEGF in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Exp Eye Research 80:567-580.

Jang YP, Zhou J, Nakanishi K, Sparrow JR. 2005. Anthocyanins protect against A2E photooxidation and membrane permeabilization in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Photochem Photobiol 81:529-536.

Fishkin N, Sparrow JR, Allikmets R, Nakanishi K. 2005. Isolation and characterization of a novel retinal pigment epithelial cell fluorophore: an all-trans-retinal dimer conjugate. Proc Natl Acad Sci  102:7091-7096.

Jang YP, Matsuda H, Itagaki Y, Nakanishi K, Sparrow JR. 2005. Characterization of peroxy-A2E and furan-A2E photooxidation products and detection in human and mouse retinal pigment epithelial cell lipofuscin. J Biol Chem 280:39732-39739.

Kim SR, Nakanishi K, Itagaki Y, Sparrow JR. 2005. Photooxidation of A2-PE, a photoreceptor outer segment fluorophores and protection by lutein and zeaxanthin. Exp Eye Research 82:828-839.

Zhou J, Gao X, Cai B, Sparrow JR. 2006. Indirect antioxidant protection against photooxidative processes initiated in retinal pigment epithelial cells by a lipofuscin pigment.  Rejuvenation Res. 9:256-263.

Maiti, P, Kong J, Kim SR, Sparrow JR, Alllikmets R and Rando RR. 2006. Small molecule RPE65 antagonists limit the visual cycle and prevent lipofuscin formation. Biochemistry 45:852-860.

Zhou J, Jang YP, Kim SR, Sparrow JR. 2006.  Complement activation by photooxidation products of A2E, a lipofuscin constituent of the retinal pigment epithelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci  103:16182-16187.

Greenstein VC, Chiosi F, Baker P, Seiple W, Holopigian K, Braunstein RE, Sparrow JR. 2007.  Scotopic sensitivity and color vision with a blue light-absorbing intraocular lens. J Cataract Refract Surg (in press).

Sparrow JR.  2003.  Therapy for macular degeneration: Insights from acne.  Proc Natl Acad Sci 100:4353-4354 (by invitation).

Braunstein RE, Sparrow JR.  2005.  A blue blocking IOL should be used in cataract surgery.  Arch Ophthalmol 123:547-549.

Sparrow JR, Boulton M.  2005.  RPE lipofuscin and its role in retinal pathobiology.  Exp Eye Research 80:595-606.

Sparrow JR. RPE lipofuscin: formation, properties and relevance to retinal degeneration. 2005. In: Tombran-tink J, Barnstable CJ (eds), Retinal Degenerations: Biology, Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Humana Press (in press, by invitation). 

Selected Reviews and Book Chapters

Ben-Shabat S, Parish C, Hashimoto M, Nakanishi K, Sparrow JR.  2001.  Fluorescent pigments of the retinal pigment epithelium and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 11:1522-1540 (by invitation).

Sparrow JR.  2003.  Therapy for macular degeneration: Insights from acne.  Proc Natl Acad Sci 100:4353-4354

Sparrow JR, Cai B, Fishkin N, Jang YP, Krane S, Vollmer HR, Zhou J, Nakanishi K.  2003.  A2E, a fluorophore of RPE lipofuscin: Can it cause RPE degeneration?  Adv Exp Med and Biol. 533:205-211.

Sparrow JR.  2003.  The role of lipofuscin and its components in retinal degeneration.  Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today.  August issue.

Mainster MA, Sparrow JR.  2003.  How much blue light should an IOL transmit?  Br J Ophthalmol 87:1523-1529.

Braunstein RE, Sparrow JR.  2005.  A blue blocking IOL should be used in cataract surgery.  Arch Ophthalmol 123:547-549.

Sparrow JR, Cai B, Jang YP, Zhou J, Nakanishi K. 2006. A2E, a fluorophore of RPE lipofuscin, can destabilize membrane. Adv Exp Med and Biol 572:63-68.

Sparrow JR, Boulton M.  2005.  RPE lipofuscin and its role in retinal pathobiology.  Exp Eye Research 80:595-606.

Sparrow JR. RPE lipofuscin: formation, properties and relevance to retinal degeneration. 2006. In: Tombran-tink J, Barnstable CJ (eds), Retinal Degenerations: Biology, Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Humana Press.