Fig. 4

Transplanted human donor cells integrate into the recipient retina after 21 days. CRX-GFP⁺ photoreceptors were FAC-sorted from weeks 10, 14, or 20 retinal organoids and transplanted into the subretinal space of Nrl^−/− or NSG mice. A Week 10 CRX-GFP⁺/hMito⁺ donor photoreceptors migrate into the ONL of an Nrl^−/− recipient. Scale bar = 20 μm. B Donor cells localized to the ONL co-express human nuclear antigen (HNA). Scale bar = 20 μm. C Human mitochondria is co-localized with nuclear CRX-GFP and human recoverin inside the ONL of an NSG recipient. Higher magnification maximum intensity projection of week 10 CRX-GFP⁺ donor cell with hMito and hRecoverin located inside the ONL of an NSG recipient. Human mitochondria are localized within the donor cell neurite, co-localized with human recoverin. Single plane image showing a large human nucleus (CRX-GFP⁺) in the ONL is denoted by dotted white lines. Scale bar = 20 μm. D Table reporting the frequency of transplanted animals (n) with integration events. E Number of integrating GFP⁺ cells found in the outer nuclear layer for weeks 10 and 14 photoreceptor transplantations, mean ± SEM (n = 5–8 animals per group). F Percent donor cell integration normalized to the total donor cell number in the SRS. Mean ± SEM (n = 5–8 per group)