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Mizobuchi K, Hayashi T, Oishi N, Kubota D, Kameya S, Higasa K, Futami T, Kondo H, Hosono K, Kurata K, Hotta Y, Yoshitake K, Iwata T, Matsuura T, Nakano T. Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in RP1-Associated Retinal Dystrophies: A Multi-Center Cohort Study in JAPAN. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10112265. [PMID: 34073704 PMCID: PMC8197273 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Little is known about genotype–phenotype correlations of RP1-associated retinal dystrophies in the Japanese population. We aimed to investigate the genetic spectrum of RP1 variants and provide a detailed description of the clinical findings in Japanese patients. Methods: In total, 607 patients with inherited retinal diseases were examined using whole-exome/whole-genome sequencing (WES/WGS). PCR-based screening for an Alu element insertion (c.4052_4053ins328/p.Tyr1352AlafsTer9) was performed in 18 patients with autosomal-recessive (AR)-retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or AR-cone dystrophy (COD)/cone-rod dystrophy (CORD), including seven patients with heterozygous RP1 variants identified by WES/WGS analysis, and 11 early onset AR-RP patients, in whom no pathogenic variant was identified. We clinically examined 25 patients (23 families) with pathogenic RP1 variants, including five patients (five families) with autosomal-dominant (AD)-RP, 13 patients (11 families) with AR-RP, and seven patients (seven families) with AR-COD/CORD. Results: We identified 18 pathogenic RP1 variants, including seven novel variants. Interestingly, the Alu element insertion was the most frequent variant (32.0%, 16/50 alleles). The clinical findings revealed that the age at onset and disease progression occurred significantly earlier and faster in AR-RP patients compared to AD-RP or AR-COD/CORD patients. Conclusions: Our results suggest a genotype–phenotype correlation between variant types/locations and phenotypes (AD-RP, AR-RP, and AR-COD/CORD), and the Alu element insertion was the most major variant in Japanese patients with RP1-associated retinal dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Mizobuchi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18, Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8471, Japan; (T.H.); (T.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-3433-1111
| | - Takaaki Hayashi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18, Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8471, Japan; (T.H.); (T.N.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Katsushika Medical Center, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 6-41-2 Aoto, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8506, Japan
| | - Noriko Oishi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, 1715 Kamagari, Inzai, Chiba 270-1694, Japan; (N.O.); (D.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Daiki Kubota
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, 1715 Kamagari, Inzai, Chiba 270-1694, Japan; (N.O.); (D.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Shuhei Kameya
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, 1715 Kamagari, Inzai, Chiba 270-1694, Japan; (N.O.); (D.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Koichiro Higasa
- Department of Genome Analysis, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan;
| | - Takuma Futami
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku Kitakyushu-shi, Fu-kuoka 807-8555, Japan; (T.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Hiroyuki Kondo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku Kitakyushu-shi, Fu-kuoka 807-8555, Japan; (T.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Katsuhiro Hosono
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; (K.H.); (K.K.); (Y.H.)
| | - Kentaro Kurata
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; (K.H.); (K.K.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yoshihiro Hotta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; (K.H.); (K.K.); (Y.H.)
| | - Kazutoshi Yoshitake
- National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1 Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8902, Japan; (K.Y.); (T.I.)
| | - Takeshi Iwata
- National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1 Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8902, Japan; (K.Y.); (T.I.)
| | - Tomokazu Matsuura
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18, Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8471, Japan;
| | - Tadashi Nakano
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18, Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8471, Japan; (T.H.); (T.N.)
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Barnes CL, Malhotra H, Calvert PD. Compartmentalization of Photoreceptor Sensory Cilia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:636737. [PMID: 33614665 PMCID: PMC7889997 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.636737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional compartmentalization of cells is a universal strategy for segregating processes that require specific components, undergo regulation by modulating concentrations of those components, or that would be detrimental to other processes. Primary cilia are hair-like organelles that project from the apical plasma membranes of epithelial cells where they serve as exclusive compartments for sensing physical and chemical signals in the environment. As such, molecules involved in signal transduction are enriched within cilia and regulating their ciliary concentrations allows adaptation to the environmental stimuli. The highly efficient organization of primary cilia has been co-opted by major sensory neurons, olfactory cells and the photoreceptor neurons that underlie vision. The mechanisms underlying compartmentalization of cilia are an area of intense current research. Recent findings have revealed similarities and differences in molecular mechanisms of ciliary protein enrichment and its regulation among primary cilia and sensory cilia. Here we discuss the physiological demands on photoreceptors that have driven their evolution into neurons that rely on a highly specialized cilium for signaling changes in light intensity. We explore what is known and what is not known about how that specialization appears to have driven unique mechanisms for photoreceptor protein and membrane compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter D. Calvert
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Center for Vision Research, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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3
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Seo S, Datta P. Photoreceptor outer segment as a sink for membrane proteins: hypothesis and implications in retinal ciliopathies. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:R75-R82. [PMID: 28453661 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The photoreceptor outer segment (OS) is a unique modification of the primary cilium, specialized for light perception. Being homologous organelles, the primary cilium and the OS share common building blocks and molecular machinery to construct and maintain them. The OS, however, has several unique structural features that are not seen in primary cilia. Although these unique features of the OS have been well documented, their implications in protein localization have been under-appreciated. In this review, we compare the structural properties of the primary cilium and the OS, and propose a hypothesis that the OS can act as a sink for membrane proteins. We further discuss the implications of this hypothesis in polarized protein localization in photoreceptors and mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration in retinal ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjin Seo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Wynn Institute for Vision Research, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Poppy Datta
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Wynn Institute for Vision Research, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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4
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Bujakowska KM, Liu Q, Pierce EA. Photoreceptor Cilia and Retinal Ciliopathies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a028274. [PMID: 28289063 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a028274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Photoreceptors are sensory neurons designed to convert light stimuli into neurological responses. This process, called phototransduction, takes place in the outer segments (OS) of rod and cone photoreceptors. OS are specialized sensory cilia, with analogous structures to those present in other nonmotile cilia. Deficient morphogenesis and/or dysfunction of photoreceptor sensory cilia (PSC) caused by mutations in a variety of photoreceptor-specific and common cilia genes can lead to inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs). IRDs can manifest as isolated retinal diseases or syndromic diseases. In this review, we describe the structure and composition of PSC and different forms of ciliopathies with retinal involvement. We review the genetics of the IRDs, which are monogenic disorders but genetically diverse with regard to causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga M Bujakowska
- Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Qin Liu
- Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Eric A Pierce
- Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
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5
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Goldberg AFX, Moritz OL, Williams DS. Molecular basis for photoreceptor outer segment architecture. Prog Retin Eye Res 2016; 55:52-81. [PMID: 27260426 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To serve vision, vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors must detect photons, convert the light stimuli into cellular signals, and then convey the encoded information to downstream neurons. Rods and cones are sensory neurons that each rely on specialized ciliary organelles to detect light. These organelles, called outer segments, possess elaborate architectures that include many hundreds of light-sensitive membranous disks arrayed one atop another in precise register. These stacked disks capture light and initiate the chain of molecular and cellular events that underlie normal vision. Outer segment organization is challenged by an inherently dynamic nature; these organelles are subject to a renewal process that replaces a significant fraction of their disks (up to ∼10%) on a daily basis. In addition, a broad range of environmental and genetic insults can disrupt outer segment morphology to impair photoreceptor function and viability. In this chapter, we survey the major progress that has been made for understanding the molecular basis of outer segment architecture. We also discuss key aspects of organelle lipid and protein composition, and highlight distributions, interactions, and potential structural functions of key OS-resident molecules, including: kinesin-2, actin, RP1, prominin-1, protocadherin 21, peripherin-2/rds, rom-1, glutamic acid-rich proteins, and rhodopsin. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and challenges that remain for understanding how normal outer segment architecture is established and maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F X Goldberg
- Eye Research Institute, Oakland University, 417 Dodge Hall, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA.
| | - Orson L Moritz
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David S Williams
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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6
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Song D, Grieco S, Li Y, Hunter A, Chu S, Zhao L, Song Y, DeAngelis RA, Shi LY, Liu Q, Pierce EA, Nishina PM, Lambris JD, Dunaief JL. A murine RP1 missense mutation causes protein mislocalization and slowly progressive photoreceptor degeneration. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2014; 184:2721-9. [PMID: 25088982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the RP1 gene can cause retinitis pigmentosa. We identified a spontaneous L66P mutation caused by two adjacent point mutations in the Rp1 gene in a colony of C57BL/6J mice. Mice homozygous for the L66P mutation exhibited slow, progressive photoreceptor degeneration throughout their lifespan. Optical coherence tomography imaging found abnormal photoreceptor reflectivity at 1 month of age. Histology found shortening and disorganization of the photoreceptor inner and outer segments and progressive thinning of the outer nuclear layer. Electroretinogram a- and b-wave amplitudes were decreased with age. Western blot analysis found that the quantity and size of the mutated retinitis pigmentosa 1 (RP1) protein were normal. However, immunohistochemistry found that the mutant Rp1 protein partially mislocalized to the transition zone of the shortened axonemes. This mutation disrupted colocalization with cytoplasmic microtubules in vitro. In conclusion, the L66P mutation in the first doublecortin domain of the Rp1 gene impairs Rp1 protein localization and function, leading to abnormalities in photoreceptor outer segment structure and progressive photoreceptor degeneration. This is the first missense mutation in Rp1 shown to cause retinal degeneration. It provides a unique, slowly progressive photoreceptor degeneration model that mirrors the slow degeneration kinetics in most patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delu Song
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Steve Grieco
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yafeng Li
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Allan Hunter
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sally Chu
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Liangliang Zhao
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Ophthalmology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Song
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert A DeAngelis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Qin Liu
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Eric A Pierce
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - John D Lambris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua L Dunaief
- F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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7
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Microtubule-associated protein tau in bovine retinal photoreceptor rod outer segments: comparison with brain tau. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2013; 1832:1549-59. [PMID: 23712071 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Revised: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested a possible involvement of abnormal tau in some retinal degenerative diseases. The common view in these studies is that these retinal diseases share the mechanism of tau-mediated degenerative diseases in brain and that information about these brain diseases may be directly applied to explain these retinal diseases. Here we collectively examine this view by revealing three basic characteristics of tau in the rod outer segment (ROS) of bovine retinal photoreceptors, i.e., its isoforms, its phosphorylation mode and its interaction with microtubules, and by comparing them with those of brain tau. We find that ROS contains at least four isoforms: three are identical to those in brain and one is unique in ROS. All ROS isoforms, like brain isoforms, are modified with multiple phosphate molecules; however, ROS isoforms show their own specific phosphorylation pattern, and these phosphorylation patterns appear not to be identical to those of brain tau. Interestingly, some ROS isoforms, under the normal conditions, are phosphorylated at the sites identical to those in Alzheimer's patient isoforms. Surprisingly, a large portion of ROS isoforms tightly associates with a membranous component(s) other than microtubules, and this association is independent of their phosphorylation states. These observations strongly suggest that tau plays various roles in ROS and that some of these functions may not be comparable to those of brain tau. We believe that knowledge about tau in the entire retinal network and/or its individual cells are also essential for elucidation of tau-mediated retinal diseases, if any.
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8
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Pearring JN, Salinas RY, Baker SA, Arshavsky VY. Protein sorting, targeting and trafficking in photoreceptor cells. Prog Retin Eye Res 2013; 36:24-51. [PMID: 23562855 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Vision is the most fundamental of our senses initiated when photons are absorbed by the rod and cone photoreceptor neurons of the retina. At the distal end of each photoreceptor resides a light-sensing organelle, called the outer segment, which is a modified primary cilium highly enriched with proteins involved in visual signal transduction. At the proximal end, each photoreceptor has a synaptic terminal, which connects this cell to the downstream neurons for further processing of the visual information. Understanding the mechanisms involved in creating and maintaining functional compartmentalization of photoreceptor cells remains among the most fascinating topics in ocular cell biology. This review will discuss how photoreceptor compartmentalization is supported by protein sorting, targeting and trafficking, with an emphasis on the best-studied cases of outer segment-resident proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian N Pearring
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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9
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Liu Q, Zhang Q, Pierce EA. Photoreceptor sensory cilia and inherited retinal degeneration. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 664:223-32. [PMID: 20238021 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1399-9_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The outer segments of photoreceptor cells are specialized sensory cilia, and share many features with other primary and sensory cilia. Like other cilia, photoreceptor sensory cilium (PSC) comprises a membrane domain of outer segment and its cytoskeleton. We have recently identified the protein components of mouse PSCs, and found that the list of PSC proteins, called the PSC proteome, contains many novel cilia proteins. Studies have shown that many of the identified retinal degeneration disease genes encode proteins which are part of the PSC. Furthermore, mutations in genes encoding proteins expressed both in photoreceptors and other cilia result in systemic diseases, such as Usher syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), and Senior-Loken syndrome that involve retinal degeneration along with other disorders consequent to cilia dysfunction such as deafness and polycystic kidney disease. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that genes that encode proteins required for formation of PSCs are good candidate retinal degeneration disease genes. This chapter will summarize our studies on identifying novel PSC proteins from the PSC proteome. As an example of these studies, we demonstrated that tetratricopeptide the repeat domain 21B (TTC21B) protein is a novel PSC protein and is required for normal cilia formation in primary and photoreceptor sensory cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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10
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Abstract
The photoreceptor outer segment (OS), a well-defined sensory cilium, provides an important context for the study of intraflagellar transport (IFT). The early phases of OS development involve successive events that are common to virtually all cilia. Additionally, intense protein trafficking occurs through the cilium and relies on IFT to maintain proper cellular morphology and optimize the photosensitive function. In the past decade, progress has been made in the characterization of photoreceptor OS trafficking in murine and amphibian models. Recently, powerful and cost-effective molecular tools and techniques for zebrafish have opened new opportunities to study photoreceptor IFT. Studies using zebrafish take advantage of its rapid embryogenesis to characterize the early events involved in photoreceptor ciliogenesis and OS assembly. In this overview, we describe phenotypes associated with knockdown strategies or genetic mutations of IFT components in zebrafish and detail a general experimental approach that has enabled us to study the function of the two anterograde IFT motors, KIF17 and kinesin II, in zebrafish cone photoreceptors.
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Baker SA, Haeri M, Yoo P, Gospe SM, Skiba NP, Knox BE, Arshavsky VY. The outer segment serves as a default destination for the trafficking of membrane proteins in photoreceptors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 183:485-98. [PMID: 18981232 PMCID: PMC2575789 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200806009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Photoreceptors are compartmentalized neurons in which all proteins responsible for evoking visual signals are confined to the outer segment. Yet, the mechanisms responsible for establishing and maintaining photoreceptor compartmentalization are poorly understood. Here we investigated the targeting of two related membrane proteins, R9AP and syntaxin 3, one residing within and the other excluded from the outer segment. Surprisingly, we have found that only syntaxin 3 has targeting information encoded in its sequence and its removal redirects this protein to the outer segment. Furthermore, proteins residing in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria were similarly redirected to the outer segment after removing their targeting signals. This reveals a pattern where membrane proteins lacking specific targeting information are delivered to the outer segment, which is likely to reflect the enormous appetite of this organelle for new material necessitated by its constant renewal. This also implies that every protein residing outside the outer segment must have a means to avoid this "default" trafficking flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila A Baker
- Albert Eye Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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12
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Reidel B, Goldmann T, Giessl A, Wolfrum U. The translocation of signaling molecules in dark adapting mammalian rod photoreceptor cells is dependent on the cytoskeleton. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 65:785-800. [PMID: 18623243 DOI: 10.1002/cm.20300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrate rod photoreceptor cells, arrestin and the visual G-protein transducin move between the inner segment and outer segment in response to changes in light. This stimulus dependent translocation of signalling molecules is assumed to participate in long term light adaptation of photoreceptors. So far the cellular basis for the transport mechanisms underlying these intracellular movements remains largely elusive. Here we investigated the dependency of these movements on actin filaments and the microtubule cytoskeleton of photoreceptor cells. Co-cultures of mouse retina and retinal pigment epithelium were incubated with drugs stabilizing and destabilizing the cytoskeleton. The actin and microtubule cytoskeleton and the light dependent distribution of signaling molecules were subsequently analyzed by light and electron microscopy. The application of cytoskeletal drugs differentially affected the cytoskeleton in photoreceptor compartments. During dark adaptation the depolymerization of microtubules as well as actin filaments disrupted the translocation of arrestin and transducin in rod photoreceptor cells. During light adaptation only the delivery of arrestin within the outer segment was impaired after destabilization of microtubules. Movements of transducin and arrestin required intact cytoskeletal elements in dark adapting cells. However, diffusion might be sufficient for the fast molecular movements observed as cells adapt to light. These findings indicate that different molecular translocation mechanisms are responsible for the dark and light associated translocations of arrestin and transducin in rod photoreceptor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Reidel
- Department of Cell and Matrix Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany
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Insinna C, Besharse JC. Intraflagellar transport and the sensory outer segment of vertebrate photoreceptors. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:1982-92. [PMID: 18489002 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the other segments of rod and cone photoreceptors in vertebrates has provided a rich molecular understanding of how light absorbed by a visual pigment can result in changes in membrane polarity that regulate neurotransmitter release. These events are carried out by a large group of phototransduction proteins that are enriched in the outer segment. However, the mechanisms by which phototransduction proteins are sequestered in the outer segment are not well defined. Insight into those mechanisms has recently emerged from the findings that outer segments arise from the plasma membrane of a sensory cilium, and that intraflagellar transport (IFT), which is necessary for assembly of many types of cilia and flagella, plays a crucial role. Here we review the general features of outer segment assembly that may be common to most sensory cilia as well those that may be unique to the outer segment. Those features illustrate how further analysis of photoreceptor IFT may provide insight into both IFT cargo and the role of alternative IFT kinesins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Insinna
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226-0509, USA
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Luby-Phelps K, Fogerty J, Baker SA, Pazour GJ, Besharse JC. Spatial distribution of intraflagellar transport proteins in vertebrate photoreceptors. Vision Res 2007; 48:413-23. [PMID: 17931679 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2007.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2007] [Revised: 08/20/2007] [Accepted: 08/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) of a approximately 17S particle containing at least 16 distinct polypeptides is required for the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella. Although both genetic and biochemical evidence suggest a role for IFT in vertebrate photoreceptors, the spatial distribution of IFT proteins within photoreceptors remains poorly defined. We have evaluated the distribution of 4 IFT proteins using a combination of immunocytochemistry and rod-specific overexpression of GFP tagged IFT proteins. Endogenous IFT proteins are most highly concentrated within the inner segment, around the basal body, and within the outer segment IFT proteins are localized in discrete particles along the entire length of the axoneme. IFT52-GFP and IFT57-GFP mimicked this pattern in transgenic Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Luby-Phelps
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509, USA
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Abstract
Vertebrate photoreceptor cells are ciliated sensory cells specialized for single photon detection. The photoreceptor outer segment corresponds to the ciliary shaft of a prototypic cilium. In the outer segment compartment, the ciliary membrane is highly modified into membranous disks which are enveloped by the plasma membrane in rod cells. At these outer segment disks, the visual transduction cascade--a prototypical G-protein coupled receptor transduction pathway is arranged. The light sensitive outer segments are linked by the socalled connecting cilium with the inner segment, the photoreceptor compartment which contains all organelles necessary for cell metabolism. The connecting cilium correlates with the transition zone, the short junction between the basal body and the axoneme of a prototypic cilium. The connecting cilium and the calycal processes, including the periciliary ridge complex, as well as the basal body complex are in close functional association with each other. In the latter ciliary compartments, the export and import from/into the outer segment of the photoreceptor cell are controlled and regulated. In all subciliary compartments, proteins are arranged in functional multiprotein complexes. In the outer segment, signaling components are arranged into complexes which provide specificity and speed for the signaling and serve in adaptation. Centrin-G-protein complexes may regulate the light driven translocation of the visual G-protein transducin through the connecting cilium. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) complexes may serve in intersegmental exchange of molecules. The import/export of molecules is thought to be regulated by proteins arranged in networks at the basal body complex. Proteins of the interactome related to the human Usher syndrome are localized in the connecting cilium and may participate in the ciliary transport, but are also arranged at interfaces between the inner segment and the connecting cilium where they probably control the cargo handover between the transport systems of the inner segment and these of the cilium. Furthermore, USH protein complexes may further provide mechanical stabilization to membrane specializations of the calycal processes and the connecting cilium. The protein complex in which the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) participates in the ciliary compartments also plays a key role in the function and maintenance of photoreceptor cells. It further associates through the presumed scaffolding protein RPGRIP1 with the nephrocystin protein network. Although many of these proteins have been also found in prototypic cilia or primary cilia, the arrangements of the proteins in complexes can be specific for vertebrate photoreceptor cells. Defects of proteins in these complexes lead to photoreceptor cell death and retinal degeneration, underlying syndromic and non-syndromic blindness.
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Peet JA, Bragin A, Calvert PD, Nikonov SS, Mani S, Zhao X, Besharse JC, Pierce EA, Knox BE, Pugh EN. Quantification of the cytoplasmic spaces of living cells with EGFP reveals arrestin-EGFP to be in disequilibrium in dark adapted rod photoreceptors. J Cell Sci 2005; 117:3049-59. [PMID: 15197244 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis is tested that enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) can be used to quantify the aqueous spaces of living cells, using as a model transgenic Xenopus rods. Consistent with the hypothesis, regions of rods having structures that exclude EGFP, such as the mitochondrial-rich ellipsoid and the outer segments, have highly reduced EGFP fluorescence. Over a 300-fold range of expression the average EGFP concentration in the outer segment was approximately half that in the most intensely fluorescent regions of the inner segment, in quantitative agreement with prior X-ray diffraction estimates of outer segment cytoplasmic volume. In contrast, the fluorescence of soluble arrestin-EGFP fusion protein in the dark adapted rod outer segment was approximately threefold lower than predicted by the EGFP distribution, establishing that the fusion protein is not equilibrated with the cytoplasm. Arrestin-EGFP mass was conserved during a large-scale, light-driven redistribution in which approximately 40% of the protein in the inner segment moved to the outer segment in less than 30 minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon A Peet
- Temple University School of Medicine, 3400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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17
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Liu Q, Zuo J, Pierce EA. The retinitis pigmentosa 1 protein is a photoreceptor microtubule-associated protein. J Neurosci 2005; 24:6427-36. [PMID: 15269252 PMCID: PMC1904502 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1335-04.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptor cells are highly specialized sensory cilia made up of hundreds of membrane discs stacked into an orderly array along the photoreceptor axoneme. It is not known how the alignment of the outer segment discs is controlled, although it has been suggested that the axoneme may play a role in this process. Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa 1 (RP1) gene are a common cause of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Disruption of the Rp1 gene in mice causes misorientation of outer segment discs, suggesting a role for RP1 in outer segment organization. Here, we show that the RP1 protein is part of the photoreceptor axoneme. Amino acids 28-228 of RP1, which share limited homology with the microtubule-binding domains of the neuronal microtubule-associated protein (MAP) doublecortin, mediate the interaction between RP1 and microtubules, indicating that the putative doublecortin (DCX) domains in RP1 are functional. The N-terminal portion of RP1 stimulates the formation of microtubules in vitro and stabilizes cytoplasmic microtubules in heterologous cells. Evaluation of photoreceptor axonemes from mice with targeted disruptions of the Rp1 gene shows that Rp1 proteins that contain the DCX domains also help control axoneme length and stability in vivo. These results demonstrate that RP1 is a MAP. Given the specific expression of RP1 in photoreceptors, RP1 is thus the first photoreceptor-specific MAP to be identified. Furthermore, these findings indicate that the RP1 form of inherited retinal degeneration is part of the larger class of neurodegenerative diseases caused by MAP dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- F. M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Liu Q, Lyubarsky A, Skalet JH, Pugh EN, Pierce EA. RP1 is required for the correct stacking of outer segment discs. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2003; 44:4171-83. [PMID: 14507858 PMCID: PMC1904498 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.03-0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Mutations in RP1 are a common cause of dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP), but the mechanism by which the identified mutations lead to photoreceptor cell death and blindness has not been determined. To investigate the function of the RP1 protein in photoreceptors and gain insight into the mechanism of disease, gene-targeting techniques were used to produce mice with a mutant Rp1 allele that mimics the truncation alleles found to cause disease. METHODS RT-PCR was used to amplify illegitimate RP1 transcripts from lymphoblasts. Gene targeting was used to create mice with a mutant Rp1-myc allele. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy was used to identify the location of the mutant Rp1-myc protein in photoreceptors. The structure of the photoreceptors in the resultant Rp1-myc mice was studied by light and electron microscopy. The retinal function of the mutant mice was investigated using analysis of full-field ERGs. RESULTS Wild-type and mutant RP1 mRNA were both detected in lymphoblasts from patients with RP1 disease. Rp1-myc mice produced a truncated version of the Rp1 protein, containing the N-terminal 662 amino acids, which localized correctly to the axoneme of the photoreceptor outer segments. Mice homozygous for the mutant Rp1-myc allele underwent a rapid-onset retinal degeneration characterized by incorrectly oriented outer segment discs that failed to stack properly into outer segments. In contrast, the photoreceptors of heterozygous mice remained relatively healthy. CONCLUSIONS The presence of mutant RP1 mRNA in lymphoblasts from patients with RP1 disease implies that the mutant message can escape nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and that a truncated RP1 protein may be produced in the retina. The truncated Rp1-myc protein appears to be nonfunctional, and not to exert a dominant negative effect in the photoreceptors of heterozygous mice. Results from homozygous Rp1-myc mice indicate that RP1 is required for the correct orientation and higher order stacking of outer segment discs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Giusto NM, Pasquaré SJ, Salvador GA, Castagnet PI, Roque ME, Ilincheta de Boschero MG. Lipid metabolism in vertebrate retinal rod outer segments. Prog Lipid Res 2000; 39:315-91. [PMID: 10856601 DOI: 10.1016/s0163-7827(00)00009-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N M Giusto
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 857, B 8000 FWB, Bahia Blanca, Argentina.
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Sung CH, Tai AW. Rhodopsin trafficking and its role in retinal dystrophies. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 1999; 195:215-67. [PMID: 10603577 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)62706-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We review the sorting/targeting steps involved in the delivery of rhodopsin to the outer segment compartment of highly polarized photoreceptor cells. The transport of rhodopsin includes (1) the sorting/budding of rhodopsin-containing vesicles at the trans-Golgi network, (2) the directional translocation of rhodopsin-bearing vesicles through the inner segment, and (3) the delivery of rhodopsin across the connecting cilium to the outer segment. Several independent lines of evidence suggest that the carboxyl-terminal, cytoplasmic tail of rhodopsin is involved in the post-Golgi trafficking of rhodopsin. Inappropriate subcellular targeting of naturally occurring rhodopsin mutants in vivo leads to photoreceptor cell death. Thus, the genes encoding mutations in the cellular components involved in photoreceptor protein transport are likely candidate genes for retinal dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Sung
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Margaret M. Dyson Vision Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
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Kaplan MW. Disk membrane initiation and insertion are not required for axial disk displacement in Xenopus laevis rod outer segments. Curr Eye Res 1998; 17:73-8. [PMID: 9472474 DOI: 10.1076/ceyr.17.1.73.5248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mechanisms that maintain the close coupling between the formation of photoreceptor disk membranes and the displacement of disk membranes toward the pigment epithelium are poorly understood. This study was designed to determine whether the axial displacement of disk membranes requires the assembly and insertion of new disk lamellae. METHODS Retinal detachment and treatment with cytochalasin D were employed to interrupt the normal formation of disk membranes in cultured Xenopus laevis retinas. The effect of disrupting disk initiation and assembly upon disk displacement was documented and quantified. RESULTS Isolating retinas from the retinal pigment epithelium prevented the normal morphogenesis of disks, but previously formed disks moved distally at a rate that is greater than or equal to the rate in attached retinas or in vivo. Treatment of attached retinas in eyecups with cytochalasin D blocked initiation of new disks and resulted in the formation of ectopic, disk-like membranes, but it did not stop axial displacement of previously formed disks. Rod cells in retinas that were cultured while slightly elevated from the retinal pigment epithelium sometimes formed disks of a smaller diameter than normal, even though the rate of initiation and displacement of disks was the same as in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Observations on detached retinas and or retinas treated with cytochalasin D suggest that disk displacement does not depend upon normal disk formation and that the motive mechanism does not involve filamentous actin. The formation of small diameter disks in elevated retinas suggests that disk initiation and displacement is independent of the completion of normal diameter disks.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Kaplan
- R. S. Dow Neurological Sciences Institute, Portland, OR 97209-1595, USA.
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Roof D, Adamian M, Jacobs D, Hayes A. Cytoskeletal specializations at the rod photoreceptor distal tip. J Comp Neurol 1991; 305:289-303. [PMID: 1902849 DOI: 10.1002/cne.903050210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We have examined microtubules and microtubule-like elements within the toad rod photoreceptor outer segment in order to define regional specializations of the photoreceptor cytoskeleton. "Ciliary" microtubules were localized within the rod outer segment (ROS) by using thin section electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and rapid-freeze deep-etch microscopy. All three methods showed that ciliary microtubules stop short of the extreme ROS distal tip, although abundant microtubule-like structures distinct from the ciliary microtubules were found within the distal 10-15 microns of the ROS tip. These heretofore undescribed "distal ROS tubules" are clustered at the clefts or incisures of the disk membrane stack and resemble microtubules in overall size and shape, although they are not closely related antigenically to tubulin. The distal ROS tubules are more abundant in green rods than red rods and vary in number during the daily light/dark cycle. Quantitation of these tubules at two time points during the light/dark cycle suggests that there are three- to fourfold more tubules in the ROS tip one hour after light onset than one hour before light onset. Retinas prevented from normal disk membrane shedding by separation of the retina from the adjacent pigment epithelium, failed to develop increased numbers of tubules after light onset. This suggests that the newly described distal ROS tubules may modulate or be modulated by light-induced interactions between the photoreceptors and pigment epithelium, such as those that occur during the disk shedding phase of membrane turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Roof
- Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Sale WS, Besharse JC, Piperno G. Distribution of acetylated alpha-tubulin in retina and in vitro-assembled microtubules. CELL MOTILITY AND THE CYTOSKELETON 1988; 9:243-53. [PMID: 3259167 DOI: 10.1002/cm.970090306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We have used the mouse monoclonal antibody 6-11 B-1, specific for acetylated alpha-tubulin, to determine the distribution of acetylated alpha-tubulin in in vitro-assembled microtubules and retinal tissue. Analysis by immunoblots revealed that microtubules assembled from bovine brain extracts contain both acetylated and nonacetylated alpha-tubulin. Immunofluorescence, using 6-11 B-1 and antitubulin B-5-1-2, a monoclonal antibody specific for alpha-tubulin, demonstrated the colocalization of both alpha-tubulin species in neurons of the retina and that acetylated microtubules are relatively abundant in neurons. However, analysis at higher resolution revealed that rod photoreceptors contain spatially distinct microtubule arrays which differ in content of acetylated alpha-tubulin and differ in stability. Acetylated microtubules which composed those of the rod outer segment and connecting cilium were resistant to depolymerization in nocodazole or colchicine. In contrast, the nonacetylated microtubules which composed those of the rod-inner segment were depolymerized in nocodazole or colchicine. Therefore, these acetylated microtubules are more resistant to depolymerization than non-acetylated microtubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- W S Sale
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Abstract
The immunochemistry of the outer retina is discussed with particular reference to photoreceptor cells, the retinal pigment epithelium and the interphotoreceptor space. The antigens identified and the techniques utilised are summarised.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Shallal
- Institute of Ophthalmology, Department of Pathology, London
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