What are the genetic changes related to autosomal dominant vitreoretinochoroidopathy ?
ADVIRC is caused by mutations in the BEST1 gene. The protein produced from this gene, called bestrophin-1, is thought to play a critical role in normal vision. Bestrophin-1 is found in a thin layer of cells at the back of the eye called the retinal pigment epithelium. This cell layer supports and nourishes the retina and is involved in growth and development of the eye, maintenance of the retina, and the normal function of specialized cells called photoreceptors that detect light and color. In the retinal pigment epithelium, bestrophin-1 functions as a channel that transports charged chlorine atoms (chloride ions) across the cell membrane.  Mutations in the BEST1 gene alter how the gene's instructions are used to make bestrophin-1, which leads to production of versions of the protein that are missing certain segments or have extra segments. It is not clear how these versions of bestrophin affect chloride ion transport or lead to the eye abnormalities characteristic of ADVIRC. Researchers suspect that the abnormalities are related to defects in the retinal pigment epithelium or the photoreceptors.