The RPE65 gene provides a set of instructions crucial for making a protein that is important for normal vision. This particular protein is produced in thin-layered cells at the back of our eyes called Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE). This thin layer of cells maintains and nourishes the retina. The retina of the eye is the light sensitive tissue, which lines the back of the eye. The RPE65 protein is involved in the visual cycle, which is a multi step process that converts light entering the eye into electrical signals that get transmitted through the brain. When light is struck at these photosensitive pigments present in the retina, it changes a molecule called 11-cis retinal (a form of Vitamin A) to another molecule called all-trans retinal.
