Transcriptomic Analysis of Organotypic Porcine Retina Cultures

Porcine organotypic retinal explant cultures are widely used to study retinal neurodegeneration under controlled conditions, but the biological processes that occur in the retinal explant over time due to preparation-induced injury and culture are not well understood. Here, we generated a time-resolved transcriptomic reference for porcine neural retinal explants, which were maintained ex vivo for 10 days. Global expression profiles are strongly separated by culture time, with Day 0 clearly distinct from cultured samples and Day 7 and Day 10 showing the highest similarity, indicating a transition toward a later stabilized state. Across the time course, 3187 genes were differentially expressed relative to Day 0, with the largest shifts occurring at an early stage of culture (Day 1–Day 3). Pathway-level analyses revealed coordinated remodeling involving inflammatory signaling and metabolic/bioenergetic changes, including reduced mitochondrial and oxidative phosphorylation-related programs at later time points. Here, we provide a time-resolved transcriptomics reference dataset for cultured porcine retinal explants. These data can build a foundation to interpret data generated in this model, differentiate changes inherent to the explant culture from treatment-specific effects and select appropriate experimental windows for mechanistic studies of retinal degeneration.