Arrestin1 mediates light-dependent rhodopsin endocytosis and cell survival

Autophagy in the retina affects photoreceptor synaptic plasticity and behavior

The visual system is a sensory system which is sensitive to light and detects photic stimuli. It plays many important functions, such as vision, circadian clock entrainment and regulation of sleep-wake behavior. The interconnection between the visual system and clock network is precisely regulated. The outer layer of the visual system called the retina, is composed of opsin-based photoreceptors that, in addition to visual information, provide photic information for the circadian clock, which in turn, regulates daily rhythms, such as activity and sleep patterns. The retina houses its own circadian oscillators (belonging to peripheral oscillators), however, they are also controlled by the main clock (pacemaker). Photoreceptor cells show many clock and light-dependent rhythms, such as the rhythms in synaptic plasticity or rhodopsin turnover, but their precise regulation is still not completely understood. In this study, we provided evidence that one of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of retinal rhythms is autophagy. We showed that autophagy is rhythmic in photoreceptors, with a specific daily pattern of autophagosome levels in different cells. Moreover, our data suggest that rhythmic autophagy-dependent degradation of the presynaptic protein Bruchpilot or photosensitive rhodopsin is involved in the regulation of daily rhythms observed in the retina. In effect, autophagy disruption in the photoreceptors, which affects photic signal transmission to the main clock neurons, causes changes in sleep level and pattern.

Golgi clustering by the deficiency of COPI-SNARE in Drosophila photoreceptors

A comprehensive study of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) in the fly genome by RNAi in Drosophila photoreceptors indicated that knockdown of any of the COPI-SNAREs, Syx18, Sec20, and Use1, resulted in the same characteristic phenotypes: Golgi stacks gathering on their trans-side, laterally expanded Golgi cisternae, and a reduced number of discrete Golgi stacks. These Golgi stacks are reminiscent of mammalian Golgi ribbons and Brefeldin A (BFA)-bodies in Drosophila S2 cells. As previously reported, BFA suppresses trans-Golgi network (TGN) fission and Golgi stack separation to form a BFA-body, which is a cluster of Golgi stacks cored by recycling endosomes. We found that the impairing each of COPI-SNAREs results in clustered Golgi stacks similar to BFA-bodies, indicating that COPI-SNAREs have a role to separate clustered Golgi stacks. These results further support the idea that the movement of Golgi stacks and the balance of fusion and fission of the TGN determine the level of clustering and ribbon formation of Golgi stacks within cells.

Mutant dominant-negative rhodopsin∆I256 causes protein aggregates degraded via ERAD and prevents normal rhodopsin from proper membrane trafficking

Dominant mutations in the rhodopsin gene (Rho) contribute to 25% of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP), characterized by photoreceptor loss and progressive blindness. One such mutation, Rho ∆I256 , carries a 3-bp deletion, resulting in the loss of one of two isoleucines at codons 255 and 256. Our investigation, using recombinant expression in HEK293 and COS-7 cells, revealed that Rho ∆I256, akin to the known adRP mutation Rho P23H, induces the formation of rhodopsin protein (RHO) aggregates at the perinuclear region. Co-expression of Rho ∆I256 or Rho P23H with wild-type Rho WT, mimicking the heterozygous genotype of adRP patients, demonstrated the dominant-negative effect, as all isoforms were retained in perinuclear aggregates, impeding membrane trafficking. In retinal explants from WT mice, mislocalization of labeled adRP isoforms at the outer nuclear layer was observed. Further analysis revealed that RHO∆I256 aggregates are retained at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), undergo ER-associated degradation (ERAD), and colocalize with the AAA-ATPase escort chaperone valosin-containing protein (VCP). These aggregates are polyubiquitinated and partially colocalized with the 20S proteasome subunit beta-5 (PSMB5). Pharmacological inhibition of proteasome- or VCP activity increased RHO∆I256 aggregate size. In summary, RHO∆I256 exhibits dominant pathogenicity by sequestering normal RHOWT in ER aggregates, preventing its membrane trafficking and following the ERAD degradation.

In vivo identification of Drosophila rhodopsin interaction partners by biotin proximity labeling

Proteins exert their function through protein-protein interactions. In Drosophila, G protein-coupled receptors like rhodopsin (Rh1) interact with a G protein to activate visual signal transduction and with arrestins to terminate activation. Also, membrane proteins like Rh1 engage in protein-protein interactions during folding within the endoplasmic reticulum, during their vesicular transport and upon removal from the cell surface and degradation. Here, we expressed a Rh1-TurboID fusion protein (Rh1::TbID) in Drosophila photoreceptors to identify in vivo Rh1 interaction partners by biotin proximity labeling. We show that Rh1::TbID forms a functional rhodopsin that mediates biotinylation of arrestin 2 in conditions where arrestin 2 interacts with rhodopsin. We also observed biotinylation of Rh1::TbID and native Rh1 as well as of most visual signal transduction proteins. These findings indicate that the signaling components in the rhabdomere approach rhodopsin closely, within a range of ca. 10 nm. Furthermore, we have detected proteins engaged in the maturation of rhodopsin and elements responsible for the trafficking of membrane proteins, resembling potential interaction partners of Rh1. Among these are chaperons of the endoplasmic reticulum, proteins involved in Clathrin-mediated endocytosis as well as previously unnoticed contributors to rhodopsin transportation, such as Rab32, Vap33, or PIP82.

Proteome-wide quantitative analysis of redox cysteine availability in the Drosophila melanogaster eye reveals oxidation of phototransduction machinery during blue light exposure and age

The retina is one of the highest oxygen-consuming tissues because visual transduction and light signaling processes require large amounts of ATP. Thus, because of the high energy demand, oxygen-rich environment, and tissue transparency, the eye is susceptible to excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress in the eye is associated with the development and progression of ocular diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. ROS can modify and damage cellular proteins, but can also be involved in redox signaling. In particular, the thiol groups of cysteines can undergo reversible or irreversible oxidative post-translational modifications (PTMs). Identifying the redox-sensitive cysteines on a proteome-wide scale provides insight into those proteins that act as redox sensors or become irreversibly damaged upon exposure to oxidative stress. In this study, we profiled the redox proteome of the Drosophila eye under prolonged, high intensity blue light exposure and age using iodoacetamide isobaric label sixplex reagents (iodo-TMT) to identify changes in cysteine availability. Although redox metabolite analysis of the major antioxidant, glutathione, revealed similar ratios of its oxidized and reduced form in aged or light-stressed eyes, we observed different changes in the redox proteome under these conditions. Both conditions resulted in significant oxidation of proteins involved in phototransduction and photoreceptor maintenance but affected distinct targets and cysteine residues. Moreover, redox changes induced by blue light exposure were accompanied by a large reduction in light sensitivity that did not arise from a reduction in the photopigment level, suggesting that the redox-sensitive cysteines we identified in the phototransduction machinery might contribute to light adaptation. Our data provide a comprehensive description of the redox proteome of Drosophila eye tissue under light stress and aging and suggest how redox signaling might contribute to light adaptation in response to acute light stress.

The Role of Reversible Phosphorylation of Drosophila Rhodopsin

Vertebrate and fly rhodopsins are prototypical GPCRs that have served for a long time as model systems for understanding GPCR signaling. Although all rhodopsins seem to become phosphorylated at their C-terminal region following activation by light, the role of this phosphorylation is not uniform. Two major functions of rhodopsin phosphorylation have been described: (1) inactivation of the activated rhodopsin either directly or by facilitating binding of arrestins in order to shut down the visual signaling cascade and thus eventually enabling a high-temporal resolution of the visual system. (2) Facilitating endocytosis of activated receptors via arrestin binding that in turn recruits clathrin to the membrane for clathrin-mediated endocytosis. In vertebrate rhodopsins the shutdown of the signaling cascade may be the main function of rhodopsin phosphorylation, as phosphorylation alone already quenches transducin activation and, in addition, strongly enhances arrestin binding. In the Drosophila visual system rhodopsin phosphorylation is not needed for receptor inactivation. Its role here may rather lie in the recruitment of arrestin 1 and subsequent endocytosis of the activated receptor. In this review, we summarize investigations of fly rhodopsin phosphorylation spanning four decades and contextualize them with regard to the most recent insights from vertebrate phosphorylation barcode theory.

Stratum is required for both apical and basolateral transport through stable expression of Rab10 and Rab35 in Drosophila photoreceptors

Post-Golgi transport for specific membrane domains, also termed polarized transport, is essential for the construction and maintenance of polarized cells. Highly polarized Drosophila photoreceptors serve as a good model system for studying the mechanisms underlying polarized transport. The Mss4 Drosophila ortholog, Stratum (Strat), controls basal restriction of basement membrane proteins in follicle cells, and Rab8 acts downstream of Strat. We investigated the function of Strat in fly photoreceptors and found that polarized transport in both the basolateral and the rhabdomere membrane domains was inhibited in Strat-deficient photoreceptors. We also observed 79 and 55% reductions in Rab10 and Rab35 levels, respectively, but no reduction in Rab11 levels in whole-eye homozygous clones of Strat^null. Moreover, Rab35 was localized in the rhabdomere, and loss of Rab35 resulted in impaired Rh1 transport to the rhabdomere. These results indicate that Strat is essential for the stable expression of Rab10 and Rab35, which regulate basolateral and rhabdomere transport, respectively, in fly photoreceptors.

Vitamin A Deficiency Alters the Phototransduction Machinery and Distinct Non-Vision-Specific Pathways in the Drosophila Eye Proteome

The requirement of vitamin A for the synthesis of the visual chromophore and the light-sensing pigments has been studied in vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms. To identify the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate the ocular response to vitamin A deprivation, we took advantage of the fact that Drosophila melanogaster predominantly requires vitamin A for vision, but not for development or survival. We analyzed the impacts of vitamin A deficiency on the morphology, the lipidome, and the proteome of the Drosophila eye. We found that chronic vitamin A deprivation damaged the light-sensing compartments and caused a dramatic loss of visual pigments, but also decreased the molar abundance of most phototransduction proteins that amplify and transduce the visual signal. Unexpectedly, vitamin A deficiency also decreased the abundances of specific subunits of mitochondrial TCA cycle and respiratory chain components but increased the levels of cuticle- and lens-related proteins. In contrast, we found no apparent effects of vitamin A deficiency on the ocular lipidome. In summary, chronic vitamin A deficiency decreases the levels of most components of the visual signaling pathway, but also affects molecular pathways that are not vision-specific and whose mechanistic connection to vitamin A remains to be elucidated.

Dietary restriction and the transcription factor clock delay eye aging to extend lifespan in Drosophila Melanogaster

Many vital processes in the eye are under circadian regulation, and circadian dysfunction has emerged as a potential driver of eye aging. Dietary restriction is one of the most robust lifespan-extending therapies and amplifies circadian rhythms with age. Herein, we demonstrate that dietary restriction extends lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster by promoting circadian homeostatic processes that protect the visual system from age- and light-associated damage. Altering the positive limb core molecular clock transcription factor, CLOCK, or CLOCK-output genes, accelerates visual senescence, induces a systemic immune response, and shortens lifespan. Flies subjected to dietary restriction are protected from the lifespan-shortening effects of photoreceptor activation. Inversely, photoreceptor inactivation, achieved via mutating rhodopsin or housing flies in constant darkness, primarily extends the lifespan of flies reared on a high-nutrient diet. Our findings establish the eye as a diet-sensitive modulator of lifespan and indicates that vision is an antagonistically pleiotropic process that contributes to organismal aging.

Aging and Light Stress Result in Overlapping and Unique Gene Expression Changes in Photoreceptors

Advanced age is one of the leading risk factors for vision loss and eye disease. Photoreceptors are the primary sensory neurons of the eye. The extended photoreceptor cell lifespan, in addition to its high metabolic needs due to phototransduction, makes it critical for these neurons to continually respond to the stresses associated with aging by mounting an appropriate gene expression response. Here, we sought to untangle the more general neuronal age-dependent transcriptional signature of photoreceptors with that induced by light stress. To do this, we aged flies or exposed them to various durations of blue light, followed by photoreceptor nuclei-specific transcriptome profiling. Using this approach, we identified genes that are both common and uniquely regulated by aging and light induced stress. Whereas both age and blue light induce expression of DNA repair genes and a neuronal-specific signature of death, both conditions result in downregulation of phototransduction. Interestingly, blue light uniquely induced genes that directly counteract the overactivation of the phototransduction signaling cascade. Lastly, unique gene expression changes in aging photoreceptors included the downregulation of genes involved in membrane potential homeostasis and mitochondrial function, as well as the upregulation of immune response genes. We propose that light stress contributes to the aging transcriptome of photoreceptors, but that there are also other environmental or intrinsic factors involved in age-associated photoreceptor gene expression signatures.

Drosophila fabp is required for light-dependent Rhodopsin-1 clearance and photoreceptor survival

Rhodopsins are light-detecting proteins coupled with retinal chromophores essential for visual function. Coincidentally, dysfunctional Rhodopsin homeostasis underlies retinal degeneration in humans and model organisms. Drosophila ninaEG69D mutant is one such example, where the encoded Rh1 protein imposes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and causes light-dependent retinal degeneration. The underlying reason for such light-dependency remains unknown. Here, we report that Drosophila fatty acid binding protein (fabp) is a gene induced in ninaEG69D/+ photoreceptors, and regulates light-dependent Rhodopsin-1 (Rh1) protein clearance and photoreceptor survival. Specifically, our photoreceptor-specific gene expression profiling study in ninaEG69D/+ flies revealed increased expression of fabp together with other genes that control light-dependent Rh1 protein degradation. fabp induction in ninaEG69D photoreceptors required vitamin A and its transporter genes. In flies reared under light, loss of fabp caused an accumulation of Rh1 proteins in cytoplasmic vesicles. The increase in Rh1 levels under these conditions was dependent on Arrestin2 that mediates feedback inhibition of light-activated Rh1. fabp mutants exhibited light-dependent retinal degeneration, a phenotype also found in other mutants that block light-induced Rh1 degradation. These observations reveal a previously unrecognized link between light-dependent Rh1 proteostasis and the ER-stress imposing ninaEG69D mutant that cause retinal degeneration.

Molecular Evolution of Phototransduction Pathway Genes in Nocturnal and Diurnal Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Most organisms are dependent on sensory cues from their environment for survival and reproduction. Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) represent an ideal system for studying sensory niche adaptation due to many species relying on bioluminescent communication; as well as a diversity of ecologies. Here; using transcriptomics; we examine the phototransduction pathway in this non-model organism; and provide some of the first evidence for positive selection in the phototransduction pathway beyond opsins in beetles. Evidence for gene duplications within Lampyridae are found in inactivation no afterpotential C and inactivation no afterpotential D. We also find strong support for positive selection in arrestin-2; inactivation no afterpotential D; and transient receptor potential-like; with weak support for positive selection in guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(q) subunit alpha and neither inactivation nor afterpotential C. Taken with other recent work in flies; butterflies; and moths; this represents an exciting new avenue of study as we seek to further understand diversification and constraint on the phototransduction pathway in light of organism ecology.

Mutations in the splicing regulator Prp31 lead to retinal degeneration in Drosophila

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a clinically heterogeneous disease affecting 1.6 million people worldwide. The second-largest group of genes causing autosomal dominant RP in human encodes regulators of the splicing machinery. Yet, how defects in splicing factor genes are linked to the aetiology of the disease remains largely elusive. To explore possible mechanisms underlying retinal degeneration caused by mutations in regulators of the splicing machinery, we induced mutations in Drosophila Prp31, the orthologue of human PRPF31, mutations in which are associated with RP11. Flies heterozygous mutant for Prp31 are viable and develop normal eyes and retina. However, photoreceptors degenerate under light stress, thus resembling the human disease phenotype. Degeneration is associated with increased accumulation of the visual pigment rhodopsin 1 and increased mRNA levels of twinfilin, a gene associated with rhodopsin trafficking. Reducing rhodopsin levels by raising animals in a carotenoid-free medium not only attenuates rhodopsin accumulation, but also retinal degeneration. Given a similar importance of proper rhodopsin trafficking for photoreceptor homeostasis in human, results obtained in flies presented here will also contribute to further unravel molecular mechanisms underlying the human disease.

This paper has an associated First Person interview with the co-first authors of the article.

Summary: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a human disease resulting in blindness, which affects 1 in 4.000 people worldwide. So far >90 genes have been identified that are causally related to RP. Mutations in the splicing factor PRPF31 are linked to RP11. We induced mutations in the Drosophila orthologue Prp31 and show that flies heterozygous for Prp31 undergo light-dependent retinal degeneration. Degeneration is associated with increased accumulation of the light-sensitive molecule, rhodopsin 1. In fact, reducing rhodopsin levels by dietary intervention modifies the extent of retinal degeneration. This model will further contribute to better understand the aetiology of the human disease.

Sec71 separates Golgi stacks in Drosophila S2 cells

Golgi stacks are the basic structural units of the Golgi. Golgi stacks are separated from each other and scattered in the cytoplasm of Drosophila cells. Here, we report that the ARF-GEF inhibitor Brefeldin A (BFA) induces the formation of BFA bodies, which are aggregates of Golgi stacks, trans-Golgi networks and recycling endosomes. Recycling endosomes are located in the centers of BFA bodies, while Golgi stacks surround them on their trans sides. Live imaging of S2 cells revealed that Golgi stacks repeatedly merged and separated on their trans sides, and BFA caused successive merger by inhibiting separation, forming BFA bodies. S2 cells carrying genome-edited BFA-resistant mutant Sec71M717L did not form BFA bodies at high concentrations of BFA; S2 cells carrying genome-edited BFA-hypersensitive mutant Sec71F713Y produced BFA bodies at low concentrations of BFA. These results indicate that Sec71 is the sole BFA target for BFA body formation and controls Golgi stack separation. Finally, we showed that impairment of Sec71 in fly photoreceptors induces BFA body formation, with accumulation of both apical and basolateral cargoes, resulting in inhibition of polarized transport.

Exploring Excitotoxicity and Regulation of a Constitutively Active TRP Ca2+ Channel in Drosophila

Unregulated Ca²⁺ influx affects intracellular Ca²⁺ homoeostasis, which may lead to neuronal death. In Drosophila, following the activation of rhodopsin the TRP Ca²⁺ channel is open to mediate the light-dependent depolarization. A constitutively active TRP channel triggers the degeneration of Trp^P365 /+ photoreceptors. To explore retinal degeneration, we employed a multidisciplinary approach including live imaging using GFP tagged actin and arrestin 2. Importantly, we demonstrate that the major rhodopsin (Rh1) was greatly reduced before the onset of rhabdomere degeneration; a great reduction of Rh1 affects the maintenance of rhabdomere leading to degeneration of photoreceptors. Trp^P365 /+ also led to the up-regulation of CaMKII, which is beneficial as suppression of CaMKII accelerated retinal degeneration. We explored the regulation of TRP by investigating the genetic interaction between Trp^P365 /+ and mutants affecting the turnover of diacylglycerol (DAG). We show a loss of phospholipase C in norpA^P24 exhibited a great reduction of the DAG content delayed degeneration of Trp^P365 /+ photoreceptors. In contrast, knockdown or mutations in DAG lipase (InaE) that is accompanied by slightly reduced levels of most DAG but an increased level of DAG 34:1, exacerbated retinal degeneration of Trp^P365 /+. Together, our findings support the notion that DAG plays a role in regulating TRP. Interestingly, DAG lipase is likely required during photoreceptor development as Trp^P365 /+; inaE^N125 double mutants contained severely degenerated rhabdomeres.

Mitochondrial-Y chromosome epistasis in Drosophila melanogaster

The coordination between mitochondrial and nuclear genes is crucial to eukaryotic organisms. Predicting the nature of these epistatic interactions can be difficult because of the transmission asymmetry of the genes involved. While autosomes and X-linked genes are transmitted through both sexes, genes on the Y chromosome and in the mitochondrial genome are uniparentally transmitted through males and females, respectively. Here, we generate 36 otherwise isogenic Drosophila melanogaster strains differing only in the geographical origin of their mitochondrial genome and Y chromosome, to experimentally examine the effects of the uniparentally inherited parts of the genome, as well as their interaction, in males. We assay longevity and gene expression through RNA-sequencing. We detect an important role for both mitochondrial and Y-linked genes, as well as extensive mitochondrial-Y chromosome epistasis. In particular, genes involved in male reproduction appear to be especially sensitive to such interactions, and variation on the Y chromosome is associated with differences in longevity. Despite these interactions, we find no evidence that the mitochondrial genome and Y chromosome are co-adapted within a geographical region. Overall, our study demonstrates a key role for the uniparentally inherited parts of the genome for male biology, but also that mito-nuclear interactions are complex and not easily predicted from simple transmission asymmetries.

Hydroxylated sphingolipid biosynthesis regulates photoreceptor apical domain morphogenesis

Apical domains of epithelial cells often undergo dramatic changes during morphogenesis to form specialized structures, such as microvilli. Here, we addressed the role of lipids during morphogenesis of the rhabdomere, the microvilli-based photosensitive organelle of Drosophila photoreceptor cells. Shotgun lipidomics analysis performed on mutant alleles of the polarity regulator crumbs, exhibiting varying rhabdomeric growth defects, revealed a correlation between increased abundance of hydroxylated sphingolipids and abnormal rhabdomeric growth. This could be attributed to an up-regulation of fatty acid hydroxylase transcription. Indeed, direct genetic perturbation of the hydroxylated sphingolipid metabolism modulated rhabdomere growth in a crumbs mutant background. One of the pathways targeted by sphingolipid metabolism turned out to be the secretory route of newly synthesized Rhodopsin, a major rhabdomeric protein. In particular, altered biosynthesis of hydroxylated sphingolipids impaired apical trafficking via Rab11, and thus apical membrane growth. The intersection of lipid metabolic pathways with apical domain growth provides a new facet to our understanding of apical growth during morphogenesis.

Protein Phosphatase 2A and Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis Facilitate Robust Melanopsin Light Responses and Resensitization

Purpose

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) that express the visual pigment melanopsin regulate non-image-forming visual tasks, such as circadian photoentrainment and pupil constriction, as well as contrast detection for image formation. Sustained ipRGC function throughout the day is, therefore, of great importance. Melanopsin is a bistable rhabdomeric-type (R-type) visual pigment, which is thought to use light to regenerate its chromophore from all-trans-retinal back to 11-cis-retinal and does not depend on constant chromophore supply to the extent required by visual pigment in rod and cone photoreceptors. Like the majority of photopigments and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), melanopsin deactivation requires C-terminal phosphorylation and subsequent β-arrestin binding. We hypothesize that melanopsin utilizes canonical GPCR resensitization mechanisms, including dephosphorylation and endocytosis, during the light, and together, they provide a mechanism for prolonged light responses.

Methods

Here, we examined expression of protein phosphatases from a variety of subfamilies by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses of the mouse retina. The expression of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in ipRGCs was assessed. We also examine the role of phosphatase and endocytic activity in sustaining melanopsin signaling using transiently-transfected HEK293 cells.

Results

Our analyses suggest that melanopsin-mediated light responses can be rapidly and extensively enhanced by PP2A activity. Light-activated melanopsin undergoes endocytosis in a clathrin-dependent manner. This endocytic activity enhances light responses upon repeated stimulation, implicating a role for endocytic activity in resensitization.

Conclusions

Thus, we propose that melanopsin phototransduction is maintained by utilizing canonical GPCR resensitization mechanisms rather than reliance on chromophore replenishment from supporting cells.

Light or tyrosine phosphorylation recruits retinal rod outer segment proteins to lipid rafts

Lipid rafts are localized liquid-ordered regions of the plasma membrane that contain high levels of cholesterol and glycosphingolipids, and are resistant to extraction with nonionic detergents. Retinal photoreceptor cells contain detergent-resistant membrane microdomains (DRM), which were isolated here from bovine rod outer segments (ROS) under dark and light conditions. Rhodopsin (R) was present in both DRM and detergent soluble fractions (DSF), and detergent-insoluble ROS rafts were enriched in caveolin 1 (Cav-1) and c-Src. In the dark, arrestin and its 44-kDa truncated form (p44) were present mainly in DSF; however, p44 was translocated to DRM under illumination. Similarly, transducin (T) was mainly present in DSF in the dark, but it was recruited toward the DRM fraction following photolysis. DRM were also prepared in the absence or presence of Mg-ATP, guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTPγS), or both. Although GTPγS released T into DSF in the light, GTPγS-activated T was retained in DRM when Mg²⁺ and ATP were added. Moreover, T was always tyrosine-phosphorylated under light conditions, which suggested that T phosphorylation prevents its GTPγS-induced release from DRM. In addition, treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein prevented the segregation of T to the rafts. In contrast, no localization difference was seen in the presence of Mg-ATP for Cav-1, c-Src, R and both forms of arrestin. Interestingly, immunoprecipitation assays followed by Western blot analyses under light conditions showed the formation of multimeric complexes containing R, T, c-Src, p44 and Cav-1 in DRM, where T and c-Src were tyrosine-phosphorylated.

Molecular components affecting ocular carotenoid and retinoid homeostasis

The photochemistry of vision employs opsins and geometric isomerization of their covalently bound retinylidine chromophores. In different animal classes, these light receptors associate with distinct G proteins that either hyperpolarize or depolarize photoreceptor membranes. Vertebrates also use the acidic form of chromophore, retinoic acid, as the ligand of nuclear hormone receptors that orchestrate eye development. To establish and sustain these processes, animals must acquire carotenoids from the diet, transport them, and metabolize them to chromophore and retinoic acid. The understanding of carotenoid metabolism, however, lagged behind our knowledge about the biology of their receptor molecules. In the past decades, much progress has been made in identifying the genes encoding proteins that mediate the transport and enzymatic transformations of carotenoids and their retinoid metabolites. Comparative analysis in different animal classes revealed how evolutionary tinkering with a limited number of genes evolved different biochemical strategies to supply photoreceptors with chromophore. Mutations in these genes impair carotenoid metabolism and induce various ocular pathologies. This review summarizes this advancement and introduces the involved proteins, including the homeostatic regulation of their activities.

Rab10, Crag and Ehbp1 regulate the basolateral transport of Na+K+ATPase in Drosophila photoreceptors

Cells in situ are often polarized and have multiple plasma membrane domains. To establish and maintain these domains, polarized transport is essential, and its impairment results in genetic disorders. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of polarized transport have not been elucidated. Drosophila photoreceptor offers an excellent model for studying this. We found that Rab10 impairment significantly reduced basolateral levels of Na+K+ATPase, mislocalizing it to the stalk membrane, which is a domain of the apical plasma membrane. Furthermore, the shrunken basolateral and the expanded stalk membranes were accompanied with abnormalities in the Golgi cisternae of Rab10-impaired retinas. The deficiencies of Rab10-GEF Crag or the Rab10 effector Ehbp1 phenocopied Rab10 deficiency, indicating that Crag, Rab10 and Ehbp1 work together for polarized trafficking of membrane proteins to the basolateral membrane. These phenotypes were similar to those seen upon deficiency of AP1 or clathrin, which are known to be involved in the basolateral transport in other systems. Additionally, Crag, Rab10 and Ehbp1 colocalized with AP1 and clathrin on the trans-side of Golgi stacks. Taken together, these results indicate that AP1 and clathrin, and Crag, Rab10 and Ehbp1 collaborate in polarized basolateral transport, presumably in the budding process in the trans-Golgi network.

Recycling endosomes attach to the trans-side of Golgi stacks in Drosophila and mammalian cells

Historically, the trans-Golgi network (TGN) has been recognized as a sorting center of newly synthesized proteins, whereas the recycling endosome (RE) is a compartment where endocytosed materials transit before being recycled to the plasma membrane. However, recent findings revealed that both the TGN and RE connect endocytosis and exocytosis and, thus, are functionally overlapping. Here we report, in both Drosophila and microtubule-disrupted HeLa cells, that REs are interconvertible between two distinct states, namely Golgi-associated REs and free REs. Detachment and reattachment of REs and Golgi stacks are often observed, and newly synthesized glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cargo protein but not vesicular stomatitis virus G protein is transported through these two types of RE. In plants, there are two types of TGN - Golgi-associated TGN and Golgi-independent TGN. We show that dynamics of REs in both Drosophila and mammalian cells are very similar compared with those of plant TGNs. And, together with the similarity on the molecular level, our results indicate that fly and mammalian REs are organelles that are equivalent to TGNs in plants. This suggests that the identities and functional relationships between REs and TGNs should be reconsidered.

The cell biology of the retinal pigment epithelium

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of post-mitotic polarized epithelial cells, strategically situated between the photoreceptors and the choroid, is the primary caretaker of photoreceptor health and function. Dysfunction of the RPE underlies many inherited and acquired diseases that cause permanent blindness. Decades of research have yielded valuable insight into the cell biology of the RPE. In recent years, new technologies such as live-cell imaging have resulted in major advancement in our understanding of areas such as the daily phagocytosis and clearance of photoreceptor outer segment tips, autophagy, endolysosome function, and the metabolic interplay between the RPE and photoreceptors. In this review, we aim to integrate these studies with an emphasis on appropriate models and techniques to investigate RPE cell biology and metabolism, and discuss how RPE cell biology informs our understanding of retinal disease.

Changes in endolysosomal organization define a pre-degenerative state in the crumbs mutant Drosophila retina

Mutations in the epithelial polarity gene crumbs (crb) lead to retinal degeneration in Drosophila and in humans. The overall morphology of the retina and its deterioration in Drosophila crb mutants has been well-characterized, but the cell biological origin of the degeneration is not well understood. Degenerative conditions in the retina and elsewhere in the nervous system often involve defects in degradative intracellular trafficking pathways. So far, however, effects of crb on the endolysosomal system, or on the spatial organization of these compartments in photoreceptor cells have not been described. We therefore asked whether photoreceptors in crb mutants exhibit alterations in endolysosomal compartments under pre-degenerative conditions, where the retina is still morphologically intact. Data presented here show that, already well before the onset of degeneration, Arl8, Rab7, and Atg8-carrying endolysosomal and autophagosomal compartments undergo changes in morphology and positioning with respect to each other in crb mutant retinas. We propose that these changes may be early signs of the degeneration-prone condition in crb retinas.

ER membrane protein complex is required for the insertions of late-synthesized transmembrane helices of Rh1 in Drosophila photoreceptors

Most membrane proteins are synthesized on and inserted into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in eukaryote. The widely conserved ER membrane protein complex (EMC) facilitates the biogenesis of a wide range of membrane proteins. In this study, we investigated the EMC function using Drosophila photoreceptor as a model system. We found that the EMC was necessary only for the biogenesis of a subset of multipass membrane proteins such as rhodopsin (Rh1), TRP, TRPL, Csat, Cni, SERCA, and Na⁺K⁺ATPase α, but not for that of secretory or single-pass membrane proteins. Additionally, in EMC-deficient cells, Rh1 was translated to its C terminus but degraded independently from ER-associated degradation. Thus, EMC exerted its effect after translation but before or during the membrane integration of transmembrane domains (TMDs). Finally, we found that EMC was not required for the stable expression of the first three TMDs of Rh1 but was required for that of the fourth and fifth TMDs. Our results suggested that EMC is required for the ER membrane insertion of succeeding TMDs of multipass membrane proteins.

Metallophosphoesterase regulates light-induced rhodopsin endocytosis by promoting an association between arrestin and the adaptor protein AP2

Light-induced endocytosis of rhodopsin in the retina is critical for preventing photoreceptor hyperactivity and for the survival of photoreceptor cells. In Drosophila, this process is mediated by arrestin1 (Arr1). Because Arr1 lacks a clathrin-binding domain required for receptor internalization and the C-terminal sequence that interacts with the β-subunit of the clathrin adaptor protein AP2, the mechanism of how Arr1 mediates endocytosis of the major rhodopsin Rh1 is unclear. Here, using several approaches, including Arr binding and pulldown assays, immunofluorescence techniques, and EM imaging, we found that Drosophila metallophosphoesterase (dMPPE) is involved in light-induced rhodopsin endocytosis. We observed that the photoreceptor cells of a dmppe mutant exhibit impaired light-induced rhodopsin endocytosis and that this impairment is independent of dMPPE phosphoesterase activity. Furthermore, dMPPE directly interacted with Arr1 and promoted the association of Arr1 with AP2. Of note, genetic dmppe deletion largely prevented retinal degeneration in norpA (encoding phospholipase C) mutants, which were reported previously to contribute to retinal degeneration, by suppressing Rh1 endocytosis. Our findings demonstrate that Arr1 interacts with AP2 and that dMPPE functions as a critical regulator in Rh1 endocytosis and retinal degeneration.

Syndapin constricts microvillar necks to form a united rhabdomere in Drosophila photoreceptors

Drosophila photoreceptors develop from polarized epithelial cells that have apical and basolateral membranes. During morphogenesis, the apical membranes subdivide into a united bundle of photosensory microvilli (rhabdomeres) and a surrounding supporting membrane (stalk). By EMS-induced mutagenesis screening, we found that the F-Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (F-BAR) protein syndapin is essential for apical membrane segregation. The analysis of the super-resolution microscopy, STORM and the electron microscopy suggest that syndapin localizes to the neck of the microvilli at the base of the rhabdomere. Syndapin and moesin are required to constrict the neck of the microvilli to organize the membrane architecture at the base of the rhabdomere, to exclude the stalk membrane. Simultaneous loss of syndapin along with the microvilli adhesion molecule chaoptin significantly enhanced the disruption of stalk-rhabdomere segregation. However, loss of the factors involving endocytosis do not interfere. These results indicated syndapin is most likely functioning through its membrane curvature properties, and not through endocytic processes for stalk-rhabdomere segregation. Elucidation of the mechanism of this unconventional domain formation will provide novel insights into the field of cell biology.

Parcas is the predominant Rab11-GEF for rhodopsin transport in Drosophila photoreceptors

Rab11 is essential for polarized post-Golgi vesicle trafficking to photosensitive membrane rhabdomeres in Drosophila photoreceptors. Here, we found that Parcas (Pcs), recently shown to have guanine nucleotide exchange (GEF) activity toward Rab11, co-localizes with Rab11 on the trans-side of Golgi units and post-Golgi vesicles at the base of the rhabdomeres in pupal photoreceptors. Pcs fused with the electron micrography tag APEX2 localizes on 150-300 nm vesicles at the trans-side of Golgi units, which are presumably fly recycling endosomes. Loss of Pcs impairs Rab11 localization on the trans-side of Golgi units and induces the cytoplasmic accumulation of post-Golgi vesicles bearing rhabdomere proteins, as observed in Rab11 deficiency. In contrast, loss of Rab11-specific subunits of the TRAPPII complex, another known Rab11-GEF, does not cause any defects in eye development nor the transport of rhabdomere proteins; however, simultaneous loss of TRAPPII and Pcs results in severe defects in eye development. These results indicate that both TRAPPII and Pcs are required for eye development, but Pcs functions as the predominant Rab11-GEF for post-Golgi transport to photosensitive membrane rhabdomeres.

Immunocytochemical Labeling of Rhabdomeric Proteins in Drosophila Photoreceptor Cells Is Compromised by a Light-dependent Technical Artifact

Drosophila photoreceptor cells are employed as a model system for studying membrane protein transport. Phototransduction proteins like rhodopsin and the light-activated TRPL ion channel are transported within the photoreceptor cell, and they change their subcellular distribution in a light-dependent way. Investigating the transport mechanisms for rhodopsin and ion channels requires accurate histochemical methods for protein localization. By using immunocytochemistry the light-triggered translocation of TRPL has been described as a two-stage process. In stage 1, TRPL accumulates at the rhabdomere base and the adjacent stalk membrane a few minutes after onset of illumination and is internalized in stage 2 by endocytosis after prolonged light exposure. Here, we show that a commonly observed crescent shaped antibody labeling pattern suggesting a fast translocation of rhodopsin, TRP, and TRPL to the rhabdomere base is a light-dependent antibody staining artifact. This artifact is most probably caused by the profound structural changes in the microvillar membranes of rhabdomeres that result from activation of the signaling cascade. By using alternative labeling methods, either eGFP-tags or the self-labeling SNAP-tag, we show that light activation of TRPL transport indeed results in fast changes of the TRPL distribution in the rhabdomere but not in the way described previously.

Unraveling Novel Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration Through a Large-Scale Forward Genetic Screen in Drosophila

Neurodegeneration is characterized by progressive loss of neurons. Genetic and environmental factors both contribute to demise of neurons, leading to diverse devastating cognitive and motor disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases in humans. Over the past few decades, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has become an integral tool to understand the molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. Extensive tools and sophisticated technologies allow Drosophila geneticists to identify and study evolutionarily conserved genes that are essential for neural maintenance. In this review, we will focus on a large-scale mosaic forward genetic screen on the fly X-chromosome that led to the identification of a number of essential genes that exhibit neurodegenerative phenotypes when mutated. Most genes identified from this screen are evolutionarily conserved and many have been linked to human diseases with neurological presentations. Systematic electrophysiological and ultrastructural characterization of mutant tissue in the context of the Drosophila visual system, followed by a series of experiments to understand the mechanism of neurodegeneration in each mutant led to the discovery of novel molecular pathways that are required for neuronal integrity. Defects in mitochondrial function, lipid and iron metabolism, protein trafficking and autophagy are recurrent themes, suggesting that insults that eventually lead to neurodegeneration may converge on a set of evolutionarily conserved cellular processes. Insights from these studies have contributed to our understanding of known neurodegenerative diseases such as Leigh syndrome and Friedreich's ataxia and have also led to the identification of new human diseases. By discovering new genes required for neural maintenance in flies and working with clinicians to identify patients with deleterious variants in the orthologous human genes, Drosophila biologists can play an active role in personalized medicine.

Blue light induces a neuroprotective gene expression program in Drosophila photoreceptors

BACKGROUND

Light exposure induces oxidative stress, which contributes to ocular diseases of aging. Blue light provides a model for light-induced oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. In contrast to mature adults, which undergo retinal degeneration when exposed to prolonged blue light, newly-eclosed flies are resistant to blue light-induced retinal degeneration. Here, we sought to characterize the gene expression programs induced by blue light in flies of different ages to identify neuroprotective pathways utilized by photoreceptors to cope with light-induced oxidative stress.

RESULTS

To identify gene expression changes induced by blue light exposure, we profiled the nuclear transcriptome of Drosophila photoreceptors from one- and six-day-old flies exposed to blue light and compared these with dark controls. Flies were exposed to 3 h blue light, which increases levels of reactive oxygen species but does not cause retinal degeneration. We identified substantial gene expression changes in response to blue light only in six-day-old flies. In six-day-old flies, blue light induced a neuroprotective gene expression program that included upregulation of stress response pathways and downregulation of genes involved in light response, calcium influx and ion transport. An intact phototransduction pathway and calcium influx were required for upregulation, but not downregulation, of genes in response to blue light, suggesting that distinct pathways mediate the blue light-associated transcriptional response.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate that under phototoxic conditions, Drosophila photoreceptors upregulate stress response pathways and simultaneously, downregulate expression of phototransduction components, ion transporters, and calcium channels. Together, this gene expression program both counteracts the calcium influx resulting from prolonged light exposure, and ameliorates the oxidative stress resulting from this calcium influx. Thus, six-day-old flies can withstand up to 3 h blue light exposure without undergoing retinal degeneration. Developmental transitions during the first week of adult Drosophila life lead to an altered gene expression program in photoreceptors that includes reduced expression of genes that maintain redox and calcium homeostasis, reducing the capacity of six-day-old flies to cope with longer periods (8 h) of light exposure. Together, these data provide insight into the neuroprotective gene regulatory mechanisms that enable photoreceptors to withstand light-induced oxidative stress.

Overexpression of ß-Arrestin1 in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Downregulates Angiotensin Receptor and Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertension

Background: Hypertension is characterized by sympathetic overactivity, which is associated with an enhancement in angiotensin receptor type I (AT1R) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). β-arrestin1, a canonical scaffold protein, has been suggested to show a negative effect on G protein-coupled receptors via its internalization and desensitization and/or the biased signaling pathway. The major objectives of the present study were to observe the effect of β-arrestin1 overexpression in the RVLM on cardiovascular regulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and further determine the effect of β-arrestin1 on AT1R expression in the RVLM.

Methods: The animal model of β-arrestin1 overexpression was induced by bilateral injection of adeno-associated virus containing Arrb1 gene (AAV-Arrb1) into the RVLM of WKY and SHR.

Results: β-arrestin1 was expressed on the pre-sympathetic neurons in the RVLM, and its expression in the RVLM was significantly (P < 0.05) downregulated by an average of 64% in SHR than WKY. Overexpression of β-arrestin1 in SHR significantly decreased baseline levels of blood pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity, and attenuated cardiovascular effects induced by RVLM injection of angiotensin II (100 pmol). Furthermore, β-arrestin1 overexpression in the RVLM significantly reduced the expression of AT1R by 65% and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation by 66% in SHR. It was confirmed that β-arrestin1 overexpression in the RVLM led to an enhancement of interaction between β-arrestin1 and IκB-α.

Conclusion: Overexpression of β-arrestin1 in the RVLM reduces BP and sympathetic outflow in hypertension, which may be associated with NFκB-mediated AT1R downregulation.

Bidirectional regulation of fragile X mental retardation protein phosphorylation controls rhodopsin homoeostasis

Homoeostatic regulation of the light sensor, rhodopsin, is critical for the maintenance of light sensitivity and survival of photoreceptors. The major fly rhodopsin, Rh1, undergoes light-induced endocytosis and degradation, but its protein and mRNA levels remain constant during light/dark cycles. It is not clear how translation of Rh1 is regulated. Here, we show that adult photoreceptors maintain a constant, abundant quantity of ninaE mRNA, which encodes Rh1. We demonstrate that the Fmr1 protein associates with ninaE mRNA and represses its translation. Further, light exposure triggers a calcium-dependent dephosphorylation of Fmr1, which relieves suppression of Rh1 translation. We demonstrate that Mts, the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), mediates light-induced Fmr1 dephosphorylation in a regulatory B subunit of PP2A (CKa)-dependent manner. Finally, we show that blocking light-induced Rh1 translation results in reduced light sensitivity. Our results reveal the molecular mechanism of Rh1 homoeostasis and physiological consequence of Rh1 dysregulation.

Unique cell biological profiles of retinal disease-causing missense mutations in the polarity protein Crumbs

Mutations in human crumbs 1 (CRB1) are a major cause of retinal diseases that lead to blindness. CRB1 is a transmembrane protein found in the inner segment of photoreceptor cells (PRCs) and the apical membrane of Müller glia. The function of the extracellular region of CRB1 is poorly understood, although more than 80 disease-causing missense mutations have been mapped to it. We have recreated four of these mutations, affecting different extracellular domains, in Drosophila Crumbs (Crb). Crb regulates epithelial polarity and growth, and contributes to PRC differentiation and survival. The mutant Crb isoforms showed a remarkable diversity in protein abundance, subcellular distribution and ability to rescue the lack of endogenous Crb, elicit a gain-of-function phenotype or promote PRC degeneration. Interestingly, although expression of mutant isoforms led to a substantial rescue of the developmental defects seen in crb mutants, they accelerated PRC degeneration compared to that seen in retinas that lacked Crb, indicating that the function of Crb in cellular differentiation and cell survival depends on distinct molecular pathways. Several Crb mutant proteins accumulated abnormally in the rhabdomere and affected rhodopsin trafficking, suggesting that abnormal rhodopsin physiology contributes to Crb/CRB1-associated retinal degeneration.

Phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate 4-kinase regulates early endosomal dynamics during clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Endocytic turnover is essential for the regulation of the protein composition and function of the plasma membrane, and thus affects the plasma membrane levels of many receptors. In Drosophila melanogaster photoreceptors, photon absorption by the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin 1 (Rh1; also known as NinaE) triggers its endocytosis through clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). We find that CME of Rh1 is regulated by phosphatidylinositol 5 phosphate 4-kinase (PIP4K). Flies lacking PIP4K show mislocalization of Rh1 on expanded endomembranes within the cell body. This mislocalization of Rh1 was dependent on the formation of an expanded Rab5-positive compartment. The Rh1-trafficking defect in PIP4K-depleted cells could be suppressed by downregulating Rab5 function or by selectively reconstituting PIP4K in the PI3P-enriched early endosomal compartment of photoreceptors. We also found that loss of PIP4K was associated with increased CME and an enlarged Rab5-positive compartment in cultured Drosophila cells. Collectively, our findings define PIP4K as a novel regulator of early endosomal homeostasis during CME.

Membrane protein trafficking in Drosophila photoreceptor cells

Membrane protein trafficking occurs throughout the lifetime of neurons and includes the initial protein synthesis and anterograde transport to the plasma membrane as well as internalization, degradation, and recycling of plasma membrane proteins. Defects in protein trafficking can result in neuronal degeneration and underlie blinding diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa as well as other neuronal disorders. Drosophila photoreceptor cells have emerged as a model system for identifying the components and mechanisms involved in membrane protein trafficking in neurons. Here we summarize the current knowledge about trafficking of three Drosophila phototransduction proteins, the visual pigment rhodopsin and the two light-activated ion channels TRP (transient receptor potential) and TRPL (TRP-like). Despite some common requirements shared by rhodopsin and TRP, details in the trafficking of these proteins differ considerably, suggesting the existence of several trafficking pathways for these photoreceptor proteins.

Light-Driven Processes Control Both Rhodopsin Maturation and Recycling in Mosquito Photoreceptors

Many invertebrates carry out a daily cycle of shedding and rebuilding of the photoreceptor's photosensitive rhabdomeric membranes. The mosquito Aedes aegypti shows a robust response, losing nearly all Aaop1 rhodopsin from the rhabdomeric membranes during the shedding process at dawn. Here, we made use of Aaop1 antibodies capable of distinguishing newly synthesized, glycosylated rhodopsin from mature nonglycosylated rhodopsin to characterize the fate of Aaop1 during the shedding and rebuilding processes. The rhabdomeric rhodopsin is moved into large cytoplasmic vesicles at dawn and is subsequently degraded during the standard 12 h daytime period. The endocytosed rhodopsin is trafficked back to the photosensitive membranes if animals are shifted back to dark conditions during the morning hours. During the daytime period, small vesicles containing newly synthesized and glycosylated Aaop1 rhodopsin accumulate within the cytoplasm. At dusk, these vesicles are lost as the newly synthesized Aaop1 is converted to the nonglycosylated form and deposited in the rhabdomeres. We demonstrate that light acts though a novel signaling pathway to block rhodopsin maturation, thus inhibiting the deglycosylation and rhabdomeric targeting of newly synthesized Aaop1 rhodopsin. Therefore, light controls two cellular processes responsible for the daily renewal of rhodopsin: rhodopsin endocytosis at dawn and inhibition of rhodopsin maturation until dusk.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Organisms use multiple strategies to maximize visual capabilities in different light conditions. Many invertebrates show a daily cycle of shedding the photoreceptor's rhabdomeric membranes at dawn and rebuilding these during the following night. We show here that the Aedes aegypti mosquito possesses two distinct light-driven cellular signaling processes for modulating rhodopsin content during this cycle. One of these, endocytosis of rhabdomeric rhodopsin, has been described previously. The second, a light-activated cellular pathway acting to inhibit the anterograde movement of newly synthesized rhodopsin, is revealed here for the first time. The discovery of this cellular signaling pathway controlling a G-protein-coupled receptor is of broad interest due to the prominent role of this receptor family across all areas of neuroscience.

The roles of Syx5 in Golgi morphology and Rhodopsin transport in Drosophila photoreceptors

SNAREs (SNAP receptors) are the key components of protein complexes that drive membrane fusion. Here, we report the function of a SNARE, Syntaxin 5 (Syx5), in the development of photoreceptors in Drosophila. In wild-type photoreceptors, Syx5 localizes to cis-Golgi, along with cis-Golgi markers: Rab1 and GM130. We observed that Syx5-deficient photoreceptors show notable accumulation of these cis-Golgi markers accompanying drastic accumulation of vesicles between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi cisternae. Extensive analysis of Rh1 (rhodopsin 1) trafficking revealed that in Syx5-deficient photoreceptors, Rh1 is exported from the ER with normal kinetics, retained in the cis-Golgi region along with GM130 for a prolonged period, and then subsequently degraded presumably by endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) after retrieval to the ER. Unlike our previous report of Rab6-deficient photoreceptors – where two apical transport pathways are specifically inhibited – vesicle transport pathways to all plasma membrane domains are inhibited in Syx5-deficient photoreceptors, implying that Rab6 and Syx5 are acting in different steps of intra-Golgi transport. These results indicate that Syx5 is crucial for membrane protein transport, presumably during ER-derived vesicle fusion to form cis-Golgi cisternae.

Summary: Unlike Rab6-deficiency which affects only apical transport pathways, Syx5-deficiency inhibits all of polarized transport pathways, implying that these two genes are working in distinct stages of intra-Golgi transport.

Rab6 functions in polarized transport in Drosophila photoreceptors

Selective membrane transport pathways are essential for cells in situ to construct and maintain a polarized structure comprising multiple plasma membrane domains, which is essential for their specific cellular functions. Genetic screening in Drosophila photoreceptors harboring multiple plasma membrane domains enables the identification of genes involved in polarized transport pathways. Our genome-wide high-throughput screening identified a Rab6-null mutant with a rare phenotype characterized by a loss of 2 apical transport pathways with an intact basolateral transport. Although the functions of Rab6 in the Golgi apparatus are well known, its function in polarized transport is unexpected.

The mutant phenotype and localization of Rab6 strongly indicate that Rab6 regulates transport between the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and recycling endosomes (REs): basolateral cargos are segregated at the TGN before Rab6 functions, but cargos going to multiple apical domains are sorted at REs. Both the medial-Golgi resident protein Metallophosphoesterase (MPPE) and the TGN marker GalT::CFP exhibit diffused co-localized distributions in Rab6-deficient cells, suggesting they are trapped in the retrograde transport vesicles returning to trans-Golgi cisternae. Hence, we propose that Rab6 regulates the fusion of retrograde transport vesicles containing medial, trans-Golgi resident proteins to the Golgi cisternae, which causes Golgi maturation to REs.

Rab6 Is Required for Multiple Apical Transport Pathways but Not the Basolateral Transport Pathway in Drosophila Photoreceptors

Polarized membrane trafficking is essential for the construction and maintenance of multiple plasma membrane domains of cells. Highly polarized Drosophila photoreceptors are an excellent model for studying polarized transport. A single cross-section of Drosophila retina contains many photoreceptors with 3 clearly differentiated plasma membrane domains: a rhabdomere, stalk, and basolateral membrane. Genome-wide high-throughput ethyl methanesulfonate screening followed by precise immunohistochemical analysis identified a mutant with a rare phenotype characterized by a loss of 2 apical transport pathways with normal basolateral transport. Rapid gene identification using whole-genome resequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism mapping identified a nonsense mutation of Rab6 responsible for the apical-specific transport deficiency. Detailed analysis of the trafficking of a major rhabdomere protein Rh1 using blue light-induced chromophore supply identified Rab6 as essential for Rh1 to exit the Golgi units. Rab6 is mostly distributed from the trans-Golgi network to a Golgi-associated Rab11-positive compartment that likely recycles endosomes or transport vesicles going to recycling endosomes. Furthermore, the Rab6 effector, Rich, is required for Rab6 recruitment in the trans-Golgi network. Moreover, a Rich null mutation phenocopies the Rab6 null mutant, indicating that Rich functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rab6. The results collectively indicate that Rab6 and Rich are essential for the trans-Golgi network–recycling endosome transport of cargoes destined for 2 apical domains. However, basolateral cargos are sorted and exported from the trans-Golgi network in a Rab6-independent manner.

Cells in animal bodies have multiple plasma membrane domains; this polarized characteristic of cells is essential for their specific functions. Selective membrane transport pathways play key roles in the construction and maintenance of polarized structures. Drosophila photoreceptors with multiple plasma membrane domains are an excellent model of polarized transport. We performed genetic screening and identified a Rab6 null mutant with a rare phenotype characterized by a loss of 2 apical transport pathways with normal basolateral transport. Although Rab6 functions in the Golgi are well known, its function in polarized transport was unexpected. Here, we found that Rab6 and its effector, Rich, are required for multiple apical transport pathways but not the basolateral transport pathway. Our findings strongly indicate that the membrane proteins delivered to multiple polarized domains are not sorted simultaneously: basolateral cargos are segregated before the Rab6-dependent process, and cargos going to multiple apical domains are sorted after Rab6-dependent transport from the trans-Golgi network to the Golgi-associated Rab11-positive compartment, which presumably recycles endosomes. Our finding of the function of Rab6 in polarized transport will elucidate the molecular mechanisms of polarized transport.

CULD is required for rhodopsin and TRPL channel endocytic trafficking and survival of photoreceptor cells

Endocytosis of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and associated channels contributes to desensitization and adaptation of a variety of signaling cascades. In Drosophila melanogaster, the main light-sensing rhodopsin (Rh1; encoded by ninaE) and the downstream ion channel, transient receptor potential like (TRPL), are endocytosed in response to light, but the mechanism is unclear. By using an RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach, we discovered a protein we named CULD, a photoreceptor-cell enriched CUB- and LDLa-domain transmembrane protein, that is required for endocytic trafficking of Rh1 and TRPL. CULD localized to endocytic Rh1-positive or TRPL-positive vesicles. Mutations in culd resulted in the accumulation of Rh1 and TRPL within endocytic vesicles, and disrupted the regular turnover of endocytic Rh1 and TRPL. In addition, loss of CULD induced light- and age-dependent retinal degeneration, and reduced levels of Rh1, but not of TRPL, suppressed retinal degeneration in culd-null mutant flies. Our data demonstrate that CULD plays an important role in the endocytic turnover of Rh1 and TRPL, and suggest that CULD-dependent rhodopsin endocytic trafficking is required for maintaining photoreceptor integrity.

Impaired Mitochondrial Energy Production Causes Light-Induced Photoreceptor Degeneration Independent of Oxidative Stress

Two insults often underlie a variety of eye diseases including glaucoma, optic atrophy, and retinal degeneration—defects in mitochondrial function and aberrant Rhodopsin trafficking. Although mitochondrial defects are often associated with oxidative stress, they have not been linked to Rhodopsin trafficking. In an unbiased forward genetic screen designed to isolate mutations that cause photoreceptor degeneration, we identified mutations in a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial gene, ppr, a homolog of human LRPPRC. We found that ppr is required for protection against light-induced degeneration. Its function is essential to maintain membrane depolarization of the photoreceptors upon repetitive light exposure, and an impaired phototransduction cascade in ppr mutants results in excessive Rhodopsin1 endocytosis. Moreover, loss of ppr results in a reduction in mitochondrial RNAs, reduced electron transport chain activity, and reduced ATP levels. Oxidative stress, however, is not induced. We propose that the reduced ATP level in ppr mutants underlies the phototransduction defect, leading to increased Rhodopsin1 endocytosis during light exposure, causing photoreceptor degeneration independent of oxidative stress. This hypothesis is bolstered by characterization of two other genes isolated in the screen, pyruvate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. Their loss also causes a light-induced degeneration, excessive Rhodopsin1 endocytosis and reduced ATP without concurrent oxidative stress, unlike many other mutations in mitochondrial genes that are associated with elevated oxidative stress and light-independent photoreceptor demise.

Some mitochondrial disorders cause blindness through increased oxidative stress. This study shows that in other such disorders, light-activated photoreceptors degenerate because the shortfall in mitochondrial energy production impairs rhodopsin trafficking and induces toxicity.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with a number of metabolic and neurological diseases such as Leigh syndrome and progressive blindness. Increased oxidative stress, which is often associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, is thought to be a common cause of disease progression. Here, we identified nuclear genes that encode mitochondrial proteins, whose loss causes the demise of photoreceptor neurons. Contrary to the common idea that this degeneration is triggered by elevated levels of oxidative stress, we find no change in the levels of oxidative stress. We show that activating photoreceptor neurons with light significantly increases energy production, and that this process is required to sustain their activity. Mitochondrial dysfunction impairs this capacity and leads to a premature termination of the light response. This in turn impairs the cycling of the light-sensitive receptor Rhodopsin in photoreceptors, and Rhodopsin accumulates in the cell inducing toxicity. This distinct mechanism of degeneration suggests that different mitochondrial diseases may follow different paths of disease progression and would hence respond differently to treatments.

iFly: The eye of the fruit fly as a model to study autophagy and related trafficking pathways

Autophagy is a process by which eukaryotic cells degrade and recycle their intracellular components within lysosomes. Autophagy is induced by starvation to ensure survival of individual cells, and it has evolved to fulfill numerous additional roles in animals. Autophagy not only provides nutrient supply through breakdown products during starvation, but it is also required for the elimination of damaged or surplus organelles, toxic proteins, aggregates, and pathogens, and is essential for normal organelle turnover. Because of these roles, defects in autophagy have pathological consequences. Here we summarize the current knowledge of autophagy and related trafficking pathways in a convenient model: the compound eye of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In our review, we present a general introduction of the development and structure of the compound eye. This is followed by a discussion of various neurodegeneration models including retinopathies, with special emphasis on the protective role of autophagy against these diseases.

Genome-Wide Gene Expression in relation to Age in Large Laboratory Cohorts of Drosophila melanogaster

Aging is a complex process characterized by a steady decline in an organism's ability to perform life-sustaining tasks. In the present study, two cages of approximately 12,000 mated Drosophila melanogaster females were used as a source of RNA from individuals sampled frequently as a function of age. A linear model for microarray data method was used for the microarray analysis to adjust for the box effect; it identified 1,581 candidate aging genes. Cluster analyses using a self-organizing map algorithm on the 1,581 significant genes identified gene expression patterns across different ages. Genes involved in immune system function and regulation, chorion assembly and function, and metabolism were all significantly differentially expressed as a function of age. The temporal pattern of data indicated that gene expression related to aging is affected relatively early in life span. In addition, the temporal variance in gene expression in immune function genes was compared to a random set of genes. There was an increase in the variance of gene expression within each cohort, which was not observed in the set of random genes. This observation is compatible with the hypothesis that D. melanogaster immune function genes lose control of gene expression as flies age.

The motor function of Drosophila melanogaster myosin-5 is activated by calcium and cargo-binding protein dRab11

In the Drosophila melanogaster compound eye, myosin-5 (DmM5) plays two distinct roles in response to light stimulation: transport of pigment granules to the rhabdomere base to decrease light exposure and transport of rhodopsin-bearing vesicles to the rhabdomere base to compensate for the rhodopsin loss during light exposure. However, little is known of how the motor function of DmM5 is regulated at the molecular level. In the present study, we overexpressed DmM5 in Sf9 insect cells and investigated its regulation using purified proteins. We found that the actin-activated ATPase activity of DmM5 is significantly lower than that of the truncated DmM5 having the C-terminal globular tail domain (GTD) deleted, indicating that the GTD is the inhibitory domain. The actin-activated ATPase activity of DmM5 is significantly activated by micromolar levels of calcium. DmM5 associates with pigment granules and rhodopsin-bearing vesicles through cargo-binding proteins Lightoid (Ltd) and dRab11 respectively. We found that GTP-bound dRab11, but not Ltd, significantly activates DmM5 actin-activated ATPase activity. Moreover, we identified Gln(1689) in the GTD as the critical residue for the interaction with dRab11 and activation of DmM5 motor function by dRab11. Based on those results, we propose that DmM5-dependent transport of pigment granules is directly activated by light-induced calcium influx and the DmM5-dependent transport of rhodopsin-bearing vesicle is activated by active GTP-bound dRab11, whose formation is stimulated by light-induced calcium influx.

dPob/EMC is essential for biosynthesis of rhodopsin and other multi-pass membrane proteins in Drosophila photoreceptors

In eukaryotes, most integral membrane proteins are synthesized, integrated into the membrane, and folded properly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We screened the mutants affecting rhabdomeric expression of rhodopsin 1 (Rh1) in the Drosophila photoreceptors and found that dPob/EMC3, EMC1, and EMC8/9, Drosophila homologs of subunits of ER membrane protein complex (EMC), are essential for stabilization of immature Rh1 in an earlier step than that at which another Rh1-specific chaperone (NinaA) acts. dPob/EMC3 localizes to the ER and associates with EMC1 and calnexin. Moreover, EMC is required for the stable expression of other multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as minor rhodopsins Rh3 and Rh4, transient receptor potential, and Na⁺K⁺-ATPase, but not for a secreted protein or type I single-pass transmembrane proteins. Furthermore, we found that dPob/EMC3 deficiency induces rhabdomere degeneration in a light-independent manner. These results collectively indicate that EMC is a key factor in the biogenesis of multi-pass transmembrane proteins, including Rh1, and its loss causes retinal degeneration.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06306.001

The membranes that surround cells contain many proteins, and those that span the entire width of the membrane are known as transmembrane proteins. Rhodopsin is one such transmembrane protein that is found in the light-sensitive ‘photoreceptor’ cells of the eye, where it plays an essential role in vision.

Transmembrane proteins are made inside the cell and are inserted into the membrane surrounding a compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, they mature and ‘fold’ into their correct three-dimensional shape with help from chaperone proteins. Once correctly folded, the transmembrane proteins can be transported to the cell membrane. Incorrect folding of proteins can have severe consequences; if rhodopsin is incorrectly folded the photoreceptor cells can die, leading to blindness in humans and other animals.

Experiments carried out in zebrafish have shown that the chaperone protein Pob is required for the survival of photoreceptor cells. Pob is part of a group or ‘complex’ of chaperone proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum called the EMC complex. This suggests that the EMC complex may be involved in folding rhodopsin, but the details remain unclear.

Here, Satoh et al. studied the role of the EMC complex in the folding of rhodopsin in fruit flies. This involved examining hundreds of flies that carried a variety of genetic mutations and that also had low levels of rhodopsin. The experiments show that dPob—the fly version of Pob—and two other proteins in the EMC complex are required for newly-made rhodopsin to be stabilized. If photoreceptor cells are missing proteins from the complex, the light-sensitive structures in the eye degenerate.

Rhodopsin is known as a ‘multi-pass’ membrane protein because it crosses the membrane multiple times. Satoh et al. found that the EMC complex is also required for the folding of other multi-pass membrane proteins in photoreceptor cells. The next challenge will be to reveal how the EMC complex is able to specifically target this type of transmembrane protein.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06306.002

Rhodopsin management during the light-dark cycle of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes

The tropical disease vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae possesses 11 rhodopsin genes. Three of these, GPROP1, GPROP3, and GPROP4, encode rhodopsins with >99% sequence identity. We created antisera against these rhodopsins and used immunohistology to show that one or more of these rhodopsins are expressed in the major R1-6 photoreceptor class of the adult A.gambiae eye. Under dark conditions, rhodopsin accumulates within the light-sensitive rhabdomere of the photoreceptor. Light treatment, however, causes extensive movement of rhodopsin to the cytoplasmic compartment. Protein electrophoresis showed that the rhodopsin is present in two different forms. The larger form is an immature species that is deglycosylated during the posttranslational maturation process to generate the smaller, mature form. The immature form is maintained at a constant level regardless of lighting conditions. These results indicate that rhodopsin biosynthesis and movement into the rhabdomere occurs at a constant rate. In contrast, the mature form increases in abundance when animals are placed in dark conditions. Light-triggered internalization and protein degradation counteracts this rhodopsin increase and keeps rhabdomeric rhodopsin levels low in light conditions. The interplay of the constant maturation rate with light-triggered degradation causes rhodopsin to accumulate within the rhabdomere only in dark conditions. Thus, Anopheles photoreceptors possess a mechanism for adjusting light sensitivity through light-dependent control of rhodopsin levels and cellular location.

Distinct roles of arrestin 1 protein in photoreceptors during Drosophila development

Arrestin regulates many facets of G-protein coupled receptor signaling. In Drosophila, Arrestin 1 (Arr1) is expressed at a lower level than Arrestin 2 (Arr2), and the role of Arr1 in visual physiology is less understood. Here we generated transgenic flies expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein tagged Arr1 (Arr1-eGFP) and explored its trafficking in live photoreceptors. We show that Arr1-eGFP is localized in the cytoplasm and displays light-dependent translocation to the rhabdomere possibly by interacting with photoactivated rhodopsin 1 (Rh1*). In the adult, translocation of Arr1-eGFP occurs with slower kinetics when compared with that of Arr2-eGFP. This slower kinetic activity may be attributable to a reduced level of phosphorylated Rh1*. Indeed, a reduced level of phosphorylated Rh1* recruits a lower level of Arr1-eGFP to rhabdomeres. To investigate whether Arr1 is required for the deactivation of phosphorylated Rh1*, we show that in flies with reduced Arr1 prolonged depolarizing afterpotential can be triggered with fewer light pulses, indicating that inactivation of phosphorylated Rh1* is compromised when the Arr1 level is reduced. Consistently, Arr1 is no longer required for deactivation of Rh1 in flies expressing phosphorylation-deficient Rh1. Previously it was reported that Arr1 displays light-dependent internalization. Unexpectedly, in adult photoreceptors we failed to observe endocytosis of Arr1-eGFP. In contrast, we show that in pupal photoreceptors Arr1-eGFP becomes internalized and sequestered in vesicles within the cytoplasm. Taken together, we propose that Arr1 plays distinct roles during development and adulthood. Arr1 orchestrates the recycling of phosphorylated Rh1* in pupae whereas it regulates the deactivation in adult.