Plasmalogens in the retina: From occurrence in retinal cell membranes to potential involvement in pathophysiology of retinal diseases

•Plasmalogens are specific glycerophospholipids highly represented in the retina.•Plasmalogens deficiency leads to severe developmental abnormalities in the eye.•Plasmalogen-deficient mice display “glaucoma-like” optic nerve abnormalities.•Human glaucoma patients exhibit abnormal circulating levels of plasmalogens.•Fatty acids released by plasmalogens may be involved in retinal vessel development.

Plasmalogens (Pls) represent a specific subclass of glycerophospholipids characterized by the presence of a vinyl-ether bond at the sn-1 position of glycerol. Pls are quantitatively important in membranes of neuronal tissues, including the brain and the retina, where they can represent until almost two-third of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. They are considered as reservoirs of polyunsaturated fatty acids as several studies have shown that arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids are preferentially esterified on Pls when compared to other glycerophospholipids. Reduced levels of Pls were observed in a number of neurodegenerative disorders such as glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. In a mouse model of Pls deficiency, “glaucoma-like” optic nerve abnormalities were observed as well as developmental defects in the eye. These included microphthalmia, dysgenesis of the anterior segment of the eye, and abnormalities in retinal vessel architecture. Several data from animal and in vitro studies suggest that Pls may be involved in the regulation of retinal vascular development through the release of polyunsaturated fatty acids by a calcium-independent phospholipase A2.