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Lobo GP, Radhakrishnan R, Leung M, Gruesen A, Knölker HJ, van Kuijk FJ, Montezuma SR. In Silico Prediction of MYO1C-Rhodopsin Interactions and Its Significance in Protein Localization and Visual Function. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1415:499-505. [PMID: 37440078 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27681-1_73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Rods and cones are photoreceptor neurons in the retina that are required for visual sensation in vertebrates, where proper protein localization and compartmentalization are critical for phototransduction and visual function. In human retinal diseases, improper protein transport to the outer segment (OS) or mislocalization of proteins to the inner segment (IS) could lead to impaired visual responses and photoreceptor cell degeneration, causing a loss of visual function. We showed involvement of an unconventional motor protein, MYO1C, in the proper localization of rhodopsin to the OS, where loss of MYO1C in a mammalian model caused mislocalization of rhodopsin to IS and cell bodies, leading to progressively severe retinal phenotypes. In this study, using modeling and docking analysis, we aimed to identify the protein-protein interaction sites between MYO1C and Rhodopsin to establish a hypothesis that a physical interaction between these proteins is necessary for the proper trafficking of rhodopsin and visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn P Lobo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Rakesh Radhakrishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Matthias Leung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Andrew Gruesen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Frederik J van Kuijk
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sandra R Montezuma
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Radhakrishnan R, Dronamraju VR, Leung M, Gruesen A, Solanki AK, Walterhouse S, Roehrich H, Song G, da Costa Monsanto R, Cureoglu S, Martin R, Kondkar AA, van Kuijk FJ, Montezuma SR, Knöelker HJ, Hufnagel RB, Lobo GP. The role of motor proteins in photoreceptor protein transport and visual function. Ophthalmic Genet 2022; 43:285-300. [PMID: 35470760 DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2022.2062391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rods and cones are photoreceptor neurons in the retina that are required for visual sensation in vertebrates, wherein the perception of vision is initiated when these neurons respond to photons in the light stimuli. The photoreceptor cell is structurally studied as outer segments (OS) and inner segments (IS) where proper protein sorting, localization, and compartmentalization are critical for phototransduction, visual function, and survival. In human retinal diseases, improper protein transport to the OS or mislocalization of proteins to the IS and other cellular compartments could lead to impaired visual responses and photoreceptor cell degeneration that ultimately cause loss of visual function. RESULTS Therefore, studying and identifying mechanisms involved in facilitating and maintaining proper protein transport in photoreceptor cells would help our understanding of pathologies involving retinal cell degeneration in inherited retinal dystrophies, age-related macular degeneration, and Usher Syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Our mini-review will discuss mechanisms of protein transport within photoreceptors and introduce a novel role for an unconventional motor protein, MYO1C, in actin-based motor transport of the visual chromophore Rhodopsin to the OS, in support of phototransduction and visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Radhakrishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Venkateshwara R Dronamraju
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Matthias Leung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew Gruesen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ashish K Solanki
- Department of Medicine, Drug Discovery Building, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina, USA
| | - Stephen Walterhouse
- Department of Medicine, Drug Discovery Building, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina, USA
| | - Heidi Roehrich
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Grace Song
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rafael da Costa Monsanto
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sebahattin Cureoglu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - René Martin
- Faculty of Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Altaf A Kondkar
- Department of Ophthalmology.,Glaucoma Research Chair in Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Frederik J van Kuijk
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sandra R Montezuma
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Robert B Hufnagel
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Glenn P Lobo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Medicine, Drug Discovery Building, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina, USA
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Pasqualetto G, Pileggi E, Schepelmann M, Varricchio C, Rozanowska M, Brancale A, Bassetto M. Ligand-based rational design, synthesis and evaluation of novel potential chemical chaperones for opsin. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113841. [PMID: 34555613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Inherited blinding diseases retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and a subset of Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) are caused by the misfolding and mistrafficking of rhodopsin molecules, which aggregate and accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), leading to photoreceptor cell death. One potential therapeutic strategy to prevent the loss of photoreceptors in these conditions is to identify opsin-binding compounds that act as chemical chaperones for opsin, aiding its proper folding and trafficking to the outer cell membrane. Aiming to identify novel compounds with such effect, a rational ligand-based approach was applied to the structure of the visual pigment chromophore, 11-cis-retinal, and its locked analogue 11-cis-6mr-retinal. Following molecular docking studies on the main chromophore binding site of rhodopsin, 49 novel compounds were synthesized according to optimized one-to seven-step synthetic routes. These agents were evaluated for their ability to compete for the chromophore binding site of opsin, and their capacity to increase the trafficking of the P23H opsin mutant from the ER to the cell membrane. Different new molecules displayed an effect in at least one assay, acting either as chemical chaperones or as stabilizers of the 9-cis-retinal-rhodopsin complex. These compounds could provide the basis to develop novel therapeutics for RP and LCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Pasqualetto
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Elisa Pileggi
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Martin Schepelmann
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria; School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Carmine Varricchio
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Malgorzata Rozanowska
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK; Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER), Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Marcella Bassetto
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
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Pasqualetto G, Schepelmann M, Varricchio C, Pileggi E, Khogali C, Morgan SR, Boostrom I, Rozanowska M, Brancale A, Ferla S, Bassetto M. Computational Studies towards the Identification of Novel Rhodopsin-Binding Compounds as Chemical Chaperones for Misfolded Opsins. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25214904. [PMID: 33114011 PMCID: PMC7660337 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25214904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded and mistrafficked rhodopsin on the endoplasmic reticulum of photoreceptor cells has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of retinitis pigmentosa and a subset of Leber’s congenital amaurosis. One potential strategy to reduce rhodopsin misfolding and aggregation in these conditions is to use opsin-binding compounds as chemical chaperones for opsin. Such molecules have previously shown the ability to aid rhodopsin folding and proper trafficking to the outer cell membranes of photoreceptors. As means to identify novel chemical chaperones for rhodopsin, a structure-based virtual screening of commercially available drug-like compounds (300,000) was performed on the main binding site of the visual pigment chromophore, the 11-cis-retinal. The best 24 virtual hits were examined for their ability to compete for the chromophore-binding site of opsin. Among these, four small molecules demonstrated the ability to reduce the rate constant for the formation of the 9-cis-retinal-rhodopsin complex, while five molecules surprisingly enhanced the formation of this complex. Compound 7, 13, 20 and 23 showed a weak but detectable increase in the trafficking of the P23H mutant, widely used as a model for both retinitis pigmentosa and Leber’s congenital amaurosis, from the ER to the cell membrane. The compounds did not show any relevant cytotoxicity in two different human cell lines, with the only exception of 13. Based on the structures of these active compounds, a series of in silico studies gave important insights on the potential structural features required for a molecule to act either as chemical chaperone or as stabiliser of the 11-cis-retinal-rhodopsin complex. Thus, this study revealed a series of small molecules that represent a solid foundation for the future development of novel therapeutics against these severe inherited blinding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Pasqualetto
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK; (G.P.); (C.V.); (E.P.)
| | - Martin Schepelmann
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; (C.K.); (S.R.M.); (I.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Carmine Varricchio
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK; (G.P.); (C.V.); (E.P.)
| | - Elisa Pileggi
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK; (G.P.); (C.V.); (E.P.)
| | - Caroline Khogali
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; (C.K.); (S.R.M.); (I.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Siân R. Morgan
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; (C.K.); (S.R.M.); (I.B.); (M.R.)
- Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER), Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Ian Boostrom
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; (C.K.); (S.R.M.); (I.B.); (M.R.)
| | - Malgorzata Rozanowska
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; (C.K.); (S.R.M.); (I.B.); (M.R.)
- Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER), Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK; (G.P.); (C.V.); (E.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK;
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Hernández-Rodríguez EW, Escorcia AM, van der Kamp MW, Montero-Alejo AL, Caballero J. Multi-scale simulation reveals that an amino acid substitution increases photosensitizing reaction inputs in Rhodopsins. J Comput Chem 2020; 41:2278-2295. [PMID: 32757375 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating the availability of molecular oxygen (O2 ) and energy of excited states in the retinal binding site of rhodopsin is a crucial challenging first step to understand photosensitizing reactions in wild-type (WT) and mutant rhodopsins by absorbing visible light. In the present work, energies of the ground and excited states related to 11-cis-retinal and the O2 accessibility to the β-ionone ring are evaluated inside WT and human M207R mutant rhodopsins. Putative O2 pathways within rhodopsins are identified by using molecular dynamics simulations, Voronoi-diagram analysis, and implicit ligand sampling while retinal energetic properties are investigated through density functional theory, and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods. Here, the predictions reveal that an amino acid substitution can lead to enough energy and O2 accessibility in the core hosting retinal of mutant rhodopsins to favor the photosensitized singlet oxygen generation, which can be useful in understanding retinal degeneration mechanisms and in designing blue-lighting-absorbing proteic photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erix W Hernández-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Química Computacional, Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Andrés M Escorcia
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Ana L Montero-Alejo
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Matemática y del Medio Ambiente (FCNMM), Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Santiago, Chile
| | - Julio Caballero
- Departamento de Bioinformática, Centro de Bioinformática, Simulación y Modelado (CBSM), Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
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Borsatto A, Marino V, Abrusci G, Lattanzi G, Dell'Orco D. Effects of Membrane and Biological Target on the Structural and Allosteric Properties of Recoverin: A Computational Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20205009. [PMID: 31658639 PMCID: PMC6829511 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20205009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recoverin (Rec) is a prototypical calcium sensor protein primarily expressed in the vertebrate retina. The binding of two Ca2+ ions to the functional EF-hand motifs induces the extrusion of a myristoyl group that increases the affinity of Rec for the membrane and leads to the formation of a complex with rhodopsin kinase (GRK1). Here, unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics simulations were performed to monitor the spontaneous insertion of the myristoyl group into a model multicomponent biological membrane for both isolated Rec and for its complex with a peptide from the GRK1 target. It was found that the functional membrane anchoring of the myristoyl group is triggered by persistent electrostatic protein-membrane interactions. In particular, salt bridges between Arg43, Arg46 and polar heads of phosphatidylserine lipids are necessary to enhance the myristoyl hydrophobic packing in the Rec-GRK1 assembly. The long-distance communication between Ca2+-binding EF-hands and residues at the interface with GRK1 is significantly influenced by the presence of the membrane, which leads to dramatic changes in the connectivity of amino acids mediating the highest number of persistent interactions (hubs). In conclusion, specific membrane composition and allosteric interactions are both necessary for the correct assembly and dynamics of functional Rec-GRK1 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Borsatto
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy.
| | - Valerio Marino
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56026 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Gianfranco Abrusci
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy.
- Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (INFN-TIFPA), Via Sommarive 14, Povo, 38123 Trento, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Lattanzi
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy.
- Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (INFN-TIFPA), Via Sommarive 14, Povo, 38123 Trento, Italy.
| | - Daniele Dell'Orco
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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Hofmann L, Palczewski K. Advances in understanding the molecular basis of the first steps in color vision. Prog Retin Eye Res 2015; 49:46-66. [PMID: 26187035 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Serving as one of our primary environmental inputs, vision is the most sophisticated sensory system in humans. Here, we present recent findings derived from energetics, genetics and physiology that provide a more advanced understanding of color perception in mammals. Energetics of cis-trans isomerization of 11-cis-retinal accounts for color perception in the narrow region of the electromagnetic spectrum and how human eyes can absorb light in the near infrared (IR) range. Structural homology models of visual pigments reveal complex interactions of the protein moieties with the light sensitive chromophore 11-cis-retinal and that certain color blinding mutations impair secondary structural elements of these G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Finally, we identify unsolved critical aspects of color tuning that require future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hofmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Xia CH, Liu H, Cheung D, Tang F, Chang B, Li M, Gong X. NHE8 is essential for RPE cell polarity and photoreceptor survival. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9358. [PMID: 25791178 PMCID: PMC4366848 DOI: 10.1038/srep09358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A new N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mouse recessive mutation, identified by fundus examination of the eye, develops depigmented patches, indicating retinal disorder. Histology data show aberrant retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and late-onset photoreceptor cell loss in the mutant retina. Chromosomal mapping and DNA sequencing reveal a point mutation (T to A) of the Slc9a8 gene, resulting in mutant sodium/proton exchanger 8 (NHE8)-M120K protein. The lysine substitution decreases the probability of forming the 3(rd) transmembrane helix, which impairs the pore structure of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger. Various RPE defects, including mislocalization of the apical marker ezrin, and disrupted apical microvilli and basal infoldings are observed in mutant mice. We have further generated NHE8 knockout mice and confirmed similar phenotypes, including abnormal RPE cells and late-onset photoreceptor cell loss. Both in vivo and in vitro data indicate that NHE8 co-localizes with ER, Golgi and intracellular vesicles in RPE cells. Thus, NHE8 function is necessary for the survival of photoreceptor cells and NHE8 is important for RPE cell polarity and function. Dysfunctional RPE may ultimately lead to photoreceptor cell death in the NHE8 mutants. Further studies will be needed to elucidate whether or not NHE8 regulates pH homeostasis in the protein secretory pathways of RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-hong Xia
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Haiquan Liu
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Debra Cheung
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Felicia Tang
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Bo Chang
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Mei Li
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Xiaohua Gong
- School of Optometry and Vision Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Palczewski K. Chemistry and biology of the initial steps in vision: the Friedenwald lecture. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014; 55:6651-72. [PMID: 25338686 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual transduction is the process in the eye whereby absorption of light in the retina is translated into electrical signals that ultimately reach the brain. The first challenge presented by visual transduction is to understand its molecular basis. We know that maintenance of vision is a continuous process requiring the activation and subsequent restoration of a vitamin A-derived chromophore through a series of chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Diverse biochemical approaches that identified key proteins and reactions were essential to achieve a mechanistic understanding of these visual processes. The three-dimensional arrangements of these enzymes' polypeptide chains provide invaluable insights into their mechanisms of action. A wealth of information has already been obtained by solving high-resolution crystal structures of both rhodopsin and the retinoid isomerase from pigment RPE (RPE65). Rhodopsin, which is activated by photoisomerization of its 11-cis-retinylidene chromophore, is a prototypical member of a large family of membrane-bound proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). RPE65 is a retinoid isomerase critical for regeneration of the chromophore. Electron microscopy (EM) and atomic force microscopy have provided insights into how certain proteins are assembled to form much larger structures such as rod photoreceptor cell outer segment membranes. A second challenge of visual transduction is to use this knowledge to devise therapeutic approaches that can prevent or reverse conditions leading to blindness. Imaging modalities like optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) applied to appropriate animal models as well as human retinal imaging have been employed to characterize blinding diseases, monitor their progression, and evaluate the success of therapeutic agents. Lately two-photon (2-PO) imaging, together with biochemical assays, are revealing functional aspects of vision at a new molecular level. These multidisciplinary approaches combined with suitable animal models and inbred mutant species can be especially helpful in translating provocative cell and tissue culture findings into therapeutic options for further development in animals and eventually in humans. A host of different approaches and techniques is required for substantial progress in understanding fundamental properties of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
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