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Robichaux MA, Nguyen V, Chan F, Kailasam L, He F, Wilson JH, Wensel TG. Subcellular localization of mutant P23H rhodopsin in an RFP fusion knock-in mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:274688. [PMID: 35275162 PMCID: PMC9092655 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The P23H mutation in rhodopsin (Rho), the rod visual pigment, is the most common allele associated with autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP). The fate of misfolded mutant Rho in rod photoreceptors has yet to be elucidated. We generated a new mouse model, in which the P23H-Rho mutant allele is fused to the fluorescent protein Tag-RFP-T (P23HhRhoRFP). In heterozygotes, outer segments formed, and wild-type (WT) rhodopsin was properly localized, but mutant P23H-Rho protein was mislocalized in the inner segments. Heterozygotes exhibited slowly progressing retinal degeneration. Mislocalized P23HhRhoRFP was contained in greatly expanded endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. Quantification of mRNA for markers of ER stress and the unfolded protein response revealed little or no increases. mRNA levels for both the mutant human rhodopsin allele and the WT mouse rhodopsin were reduced, but protein levels revealed selective degradation of the mutant protein. These results suggest that the mutant rods undergo an adaptative process that prolongs survival despite unfolded protein accumulation in the ER. The P23H-Rho-RFP mouse may represent a useful tool for the future study of the pathology and treatment of P23H-Rho and adRP. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: A mouse line with a knock-in of the human rhodopsin gene altered to contain the P23H mutation and a red fluorescent protein fusion provides a new model for autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Robichaux
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry, West Virginia University, 108 Biomedical Road, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Vy Nguyen
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fung Chan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lavanya Kailasam
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Feng He
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John H Wilson
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Theodore G Wensel
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Bales KL, Gross AK. Aberrant protein trafficking in retinal degenerations: The initial phase of retinal remodeling. Exp Eye Res 2015; 150:71-80. [PMID: 26632497 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Retinal trafficking proteins are involved in molecular assemblies that govern protein transport, orchestrate cellular events involved in cilia formation, regulate signal transduction, autophagy and endocytic trafficking, all of which if not properly controlled initiate retinal degeneration. Improper function and or trafficking of these proteins and molecular networks they are involved in cause a detrimental cascade of neural retinal remodeling due to cell death, resulting as devastating blinding diseases. A universal finding in retinal degenerative diseases is the profound detection of retinal remodeling, occurring as a phased modification of neural retinal function and structure, which begins at the molecular level. Retinal remodeling instigated by aberrant trafficking of proteins encompasses many forms of retinal degenerations, such as the diverse forms of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and disorders that resemble RP through mutations in the rhodopsin gene, retinal ciliopathies, and some forms of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As a large majority of genes associated with these different retinopathies are overlapping, it is imperative to understand their underlying molecular mechanisms. This review will discuss some of the most recent discoveries in vertebrate retinal remodeling and retinal degenerations caused by protein mistrafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Bales
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Alecia K Gross
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
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Ceredig RA, Massotte D. Fluorescent knock-in mice to decipher the physiopathological role of G protein-coupled receptors. Front Pharmacol 2015; 5:289. [PMID: 25610398 PMCID: PMC4284998 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) modulate most physiological functions but are also critically involved in numerous pathological states. Approximately a third of marketed drugs target GPCRs, which places this family of receptors in the main arena of pharmacological pre-clinical and clinical research. The complexity of GPCR function demands comprehensive appraisal in native environment to collect in-depth knowledge of receptor physiopathological roles and assess the potential of therapeutic molecules. Identifying neurons expressing endogenous GPCRs is therefore essential to locate them within functional circuits whereas GPCR visualization with subcellular resolution is required to get insight into agonist-induced trafficking. Both remain frequently poorly investigated because direct visualization of endogenous receptors is often hampered by the lack of appropriate tools. Also, monitoring intracellular trafficking requires real-time visualization to gather in-depth knowledge. In this context, knock-in mice expressing a fluorescent protein or a fluorescent version of a GPCR under the control of the endogenous promoter not only help to decipher neuroanatomical circuits but also enable real-time monitoring with subcellular resolution thus providing invaluable information on their trafficking in response to a physiological or a pharmacological challenge. This review will present the animal models and discuss their contribution to the understanding of the physiopathological role of GPCRs. We will also address the drawbacks associated with this methodological approach and browse future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhian A Ceredig
- CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR 3212 Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Massotte
- CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR 3212 Strasbourg, France
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Nucleotide bound to rab11a controls localization in rod cells but not interaction with rhodopsin. J Neurosci 2014; 34:14854-63. [PMID: 25378153 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1943-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise vectorial transport of rhodopsin is essential for rod photoreceptor health and function. Mutations that truncate or extend the C terminus of rhodopsin disrupt this transport, and lead to retinal degeneration and blindness in human patients and in mouse models. Here we show that such mutations disrupt the binding of rhodopsin to the small GTPase rab11a. The rhodopsin-rab11a interaction is a direct binding interaction that does not depend on the nucleotide binding state of rab11a. Expression of EGFP-rab11a fusion proteins in Xenopus laevis photoreceptors revealed that the nucleotide binding status of rab11a affects its subcellular localization, with GTP-locked mutants concentrated in the inner segment and GDP-locked mutants concentrated in the outer segment. shRNA-mediated knockdown of rab11a in rods led to shortened outer segments and retinal degeneration. Together, our results show the critical importance of direct rhodopsin-rab11a interactions for the formation and maintenance of vertebrate photoreceptors.
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Sandoval IM, Price BA, Gross AK, Chan F, Sammons JD, Wilson JH, Wensel TG. Abrupt onset of mutations in a developmentally regulated gene during terminal differentiation of post-mitotic photoreceptor neurons in mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108135. [PMID: 25264759 PMCID: PMC4180260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
For sensitive detection of rare gene repair events in terminally differentiated photoreceptors, we generated a knockin mouse model by replacing one mouse rhodopsin allele with a form of the human rhodopsin gene that causes a severe, early-onset form of retinitis pigmentosa. The human gene contains a premature stop codon at position 344 (Q344X), cDNA encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) at its 3′ end, and a modified 5′ untranslated region to reduce translation rate so that the mutant protein does not induce retinal degeneration. Mutations that eliminate the stop codon express a human rhodopsin-EGFP fusion protein (hRho-GFP), which can be readily detected by fluorescence microscopy. Spontaneous mutations were observed at a frequency of about one per retina; in every case, they gave rise to single fluorescent rod cells, indicating that each mutation occurred during or after the last mitotic division. Additionally, the number of fluorescent rods did not increase with age, suggesting that the rhodopsin gene in mature rod cells is less sensitive to mutation than it is in developing rods. Thus, there is a brief developmental window, coinciding with the transcriptional activation of the rhodopsin locus, in which somatic mutations of the rhodopsin gene abruptly begin to appear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivette M. Sandoval
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Brandee A. Price
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alecia K. Gross
- Department of Vision Science, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Fung Chan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Joshua D. Sammons
- Department of Vision Science, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - John H. Wilson
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Theodore G. Wensel
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Sammons JD, Gross AK. Biochemical analysis of a rhodopsin photoactivatable GFP fusion as a model of G-protein coupled receptor transport. Vision Res 2013; 93:43-8. [PMID: 24140958 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is trafficked to the rod outer segment of vertebrate rod cells with high fidelity. When rhodopsin transport is disrupted retinal photoreceptors apoptose, resulting in the blinding disease autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Herein, we introduce rhodopsin-photoactivatable GFP-1D4 (rhodopsin-paGFP-1D4) for the purposes of monitoring rhodopsin transport in living cells. Rhodopsin-paGFP-1D4 contains photoactivatable GFP (paGFP) fused to rhodopsin's C-terminus and the last eight amino acids of rhodopsin (1D4) appended to the C-terminus of paGFP. The fusion protein binds the chromophore 11-cis retinal and photoisomerizes upon light activation similarly to rhodopsin. It activates the G-protein transducin with similar kinetics as does rhodopsin. Rhodopsin-paGFP-1D4 localizes to the same compartments, the primary cilium in cultured IMCD cells and the outer segment of rod cells, as rhodopsin in vitro and in vivo. This enables its use as a model of rhodopsin transport and details the importance of a free rhodopsin C-terminus in rod cell localization and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Sammons
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Kay CN, Ryals RC, Aslanidi GV, Min SH, Ruan Q, Sun J, Dyka FM, Kasuga D, Ayala AE, Van Vliet K, Agbandje-McKenna M, Hauswirth WW, Boye SL, Boye SE. Targeting photoreceptors via intravitreal delivery using novel, capsid-mutated AAV vectors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62097. [PMID: 23637972 PMCID: PMC3637363 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of viral vectors capable of transducing photoreceptors by less invasive methods than subretinal injection would provide a major advancement in retinal gene therapy. We sought to develop novel AAV vectors optimized for photoreceptor transduction following intravitreal delivery and to develop methodology for quantifying this transduction in vivo. Surface exposed tyrosine (Y) and threonine (T) residues on the capsids of AAV2, AAV5 and AAV8 were changed to phenylalanine (F) and valine (V), respectively. Transduction efficiencies of self-complimentary, capsid-mutant and unmodified AAV vectors containing the smCBA promoter and mCherry cDNA were initially scored in vitro using a cone photoreceptor cell line. Capsid mutants exhibiting the highest transduction efficiencies relative to unmodified vectors were then injected intravitreally into transgenic mice constitutively expressing a Rhodopsin-GFP fusion protein in rod photoreceptors (Rho-GFP mice). Photoreceptor transduction was quantified by fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) by counting cells positive for both GFP and mCherry. To explore the utility of the capsid mutants, standard, (non-self-complementary) AAV vectors containing the human rhodopsin kinase promoter (hGRK1) were made. Vectors were intravitreally injected in wildtype mice to assess whether efficient expression exclusive to photoreceptors was achievable. To restrict off-target expression in cells of the inner and middle retina, subsequent vectors incorporated multiple target sequences for miR181, an miRNA endogenously expressed in the inner and middle retina. Results showed that AAV2 containing four Y to F mutations combined with a single T to V mutation (quadY-F+T-V) transduced photoreceptors most efficiently. Robust photoreceptor expression was mediated by AAV2(quadY-F+T-V) -hGRK1-GFP. Observed off-target expression was reduced by incorporating target sequence for a miRNA highly expressed in inner/middle retina, miR181c. Thus we have identified a novel AAV vector capable of transducing photoreceptors following intravitreal delivery to mouse. Furthermore, we describe a robust methodology for quantifying photoreceptor transduction from intravitreally delivered AAV vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N. Kay
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Renee C. Ryals
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - George V. Aslanidi
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Seok Hong Min
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Qing Ruan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jingfen Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Frank M. Dyka
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Daniel Kasuga
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Andrea E. Ayala
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kim Van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mavis Agbandje-McKenna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - William W. Hauswirth
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sanford L. Boye
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Shannon E. Boye
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Chan F, Hauswirth WW, Wensel TG, Wilson JH. Efficient mutagenesis of the rhodopsin gene in rod photoreceptor neurons in mice. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:5955-66. [PMID: 21478169 PMCID: PMC3152346 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dominant mutations in the rhodopsin gene, which is expressed in rod photoreceptor cells, are a major cause of the hereditary-blinding disease, autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Therapeutic strategies designed to edit such mutations will likely depend on the introduction of double-strand breaks and their subsequent repair by homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining. At present, the break repair capabilities of mature neurons, in general, and rod cells, in particular, are undefined. To detect break repair, we generated mice that carry a modified human rhodopsin-GFP fusion gene at the normal mouse rhodopsin locus. The rhodopsin-GFP gene carries tandem copies of exon 2, with an ISceI recognition site situated between them. An ISceI-induced break can be repaired either by non-homologous end joining or by recombination between the duplicated segments, generating a functional rhodopsin-GFP gene. We introduced breaks using recombinant adeno-associated virus to transduce the gene encoding ISceI nuclease. We found that virtually 100% of transduced rod cells were mutated at the ISceI site, with ∼85% of the genomes altered by end joining and ∼15% by the single-strand annealing pathway of homologous recombination. These studies establish that the genomes of terminally differentiated rod cells can be efficiently edited in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fung Chan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Improved retinal function in a mouse model of dominant retinitis pigmentosa following AAV-delivered gene therapy. Mol Ther 2009; 17:593-9. [PMID: 19174761 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2008.301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutational heterogeneity represents one of the greatest barriers impeding the progress toward the clinic of gene therapies for many dominantly inherited disorders. A general strategy of gene suppression in conjunction with replacement has been proposed to overcome this mutational heterogeneity. In the current study, various aspects of this strategy are explored for a dominant form of the retinal degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), caused by mutations in the rhodopsin gene (RHO-adRP). While > 200 mutations have been identified in rhodopsin (RHO), in principle, suppression and replacement may be employed to provide a single mutation-independent therapeutic for this form of the disorder. In the study we demonstrate in a transgenic mouse simulating human RHO-adRP that RNA interference-based suppression, together with gene replacement utilizing the endogenous mouse gene as the replacement, provides significant benefit as evaluated by electroretinography (ERG). Moreover, this is mirrored histologically by preservation of photoreceptors. AAV-based vectors were utilized for in vivo delivery of the therapy to the target cell type, the photoreceptors. The results demonstrate that RNAi-based mutation-independent suppression and replacement can provide benefit for RHO-adRP and promote the therapeutic approach as potentially beneficial for other autosomal dominantly inherited disorders.
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