SIRT3 and neurodegenerative disease: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of SIRT3-deficient retina to light stress, we analyzed both light-induced ROS levels16 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the retina because not only ROS but also ER stress are considered to be critical factors for neurodegenerative diseases.16,17 The result showed that ROS were significantly increased in SIRT3 KO retinas 1 h after the light exposure compared with WT retinas (Fig. 5a,b).