PNPLA2 and retinal degeneration: To study the effects of the Pnpla2 deficiency on the photoreceptor and neural retinal function, we used the CRISPR/CAS9 technology to generate a Pnpla2 knockout (Pnpla2−/−) mouse model on a background that is free of known retinal degeneration mutations, such as rd8. We hypothesize that loss of PEDF-R function in the retina results in the deregulation of phospholipid metabolism to cause morphological and functional defects.