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Ortega JT, McKee AG, Roushar FJ, Penn WD, Schlebach JP, Jastrzebska B. Chromenone derivatives as novel pharmacological chaperones for retinitis pigmentosa-linked rod opsin mutants. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3439-3457. [PMID: 35642742 PMCID: PMC9558842 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The correct expression of folded, functional rhodopsin (Rho) is critical for visual perception. However, this seven-transmembrane helical G protein-coupled receptor is prone to mutations with pathological consequences of retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) due to Rho misfolding. Pharmacological chaperones that stabilize the inherited Rho variants by assisting their folding and membrane targeting could slow the progression of RP. In this study, we employed virtual screening of synthetic compounds with a natural product scaffold in conjunction with in vitro and in vivo evaluations to discover a novel chromenone-containing small molecule with favorable pharmacological properties that stabilize rod opsin. This compound reversibly binds to unliganded bovine rod opsin with an EC50 value comparable to the 9-cis-retinal chromophore analog and partially rescued membrane trafficking of multiple RP-related rod opsin variants in vitro. Importantly, this novel ligand of rod opsin was effective in vivo in murine models, protecting photoreceptors from deterioration caused by either bright light or genetic insult. Together, our current study suggests potential broad therapeutic implications of the new chromenone-containing non-retinoid small molecule against retinal diseases associated with photoreceptor degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andrew G McKee
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA
| | - Francis J Roushar
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA
| | - Wesley D Penn
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA
| | - Jonathan P Schlebach
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 441064965, USA. Tel: +1 2163685683; Fax: +1 2163681300; (Beata Jastrzebska); Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA. Tel: +1 812-855-6779; Fax: +1 812-855-8300; (Jonathan P. Schlebach)
| | - Beata Jastrzebska
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 441064965, USA. Tel: +1 2163685683; Fax: +1 2163681300; (Beata Jastrzebska); Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA. Tel: +1 812-855-6779; Fax: +1 812-855-8300; (Jonathan P. Schlebach)
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2
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Molecular Basis for Variations in the Sensitivity of Pathogenic Rhodopsin Variants to 9-cis-Retinal. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102266. [PMID: 35850308 PMCID: PMC9399271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 100 mutations in the rhodopsin gene have been linked to a spectrum of retinopathies that include retinitis pigmentosa and congenital stationary night blindness. Though most of these variants exhibit a loss of function, the molecular defects caused by these underlying mutations vary considerably. In this work, we utilize deep mutational scanning to quantitatively compare the plasma membrane expression of 123 known pathogenic rhodopsin variants in the presence and absence of the stabilizing cofactor 9-cis-retinal. We identify 69 retinopathy variants, including 20 previously uncharacterized variants, that exhibit diminished plasma membrane expression in HEK293T cells. Of these apparent class II variants, 67 exhibit a measurable increase in expression in the presence of 9-cis-retinal. However, the magnitude of the response to this molecule varies considerably across this spectrum of mutations. Evaluation of the observed shifts relative to thermodynamic estimates for the coupling between binding and folding suggests underlying differences in stability constrains the magnitude of their response to retinal. Nevertheless, estimates from computational modeling suggest that many of the least sensitive variants also directly compromise binding. Finally, we evaluate the functional properties of three previous uncharacterized, retinal-sensitive variants (ΔN73, S131P, and R135G) and show that two of these retain residual function in vitro. Together, our results provide a comprehensive experimental characterization of the proteostatic properties of retinopathy variants and their response to retinal.
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3
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Ortega JT, Jastrzebska B. Rhodopsin as a Molecular Target to Mitigate Retinitis Pigmentosa. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1371:61-77. [PMID: 34962636 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2021_682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary degenerative diseases affecting 1 of 4000 people worldwide and being the most prevalent cause of visual handicap among working populations in developed countries. These disorders are mainly related to the abnormalities in the rod G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), rhodopsin reflected in the dysregulated membrane trafficking, stability and phototransduction processes that lead to progressive loss of retina function and eventually blindness. Currently, there is no cure for RP, and the therapeutic options are limited. Targeting rhodopsin with small molecule chaperones to improve the folding and stability of the mutant receptor is one of the most promising pharmacological approaches to alleviate the pathology of RP. This review provides an update on the current knowledge regarding small molecule compounds that have been evaluated as rhodopsin modulators to be considered as leads for the development of novel therapies for RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Beata Jastrzebska
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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4
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McKee AG, Kuntz CP, Ortega JT, Woods H, Most V, Roushar FJ, Meiler J, Jastrzebska B, Schlebach JP. Systematic Profiling of Temperature- and Retinal-Sensitive Rhodopsin Variants by Deep Mutational Scanning. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101359. [PMID: 34756884 PMCID: PMC8649220 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane protein variants with diminished conformational stability often exhibit enhanced cellular expression at reduced growth temperatures. The expression of “temperature-sensitive” variants is also typically sensitive to corrector molecules that bind and stabilize the native conformation. There are many examples of temperature-sensitive rhodopsin variants, the misfolding of which is associated with the molecular basis of retinitis pigmentosa. In this work, we employ deep mutational scanning to compare the effects of reduced growth temperature and 9-cis-retinal, an investigational corrector, on the plasma membrane expression of 700 rhodopsin variants in HEK293T cells. We find that the change in expression at reduced growth temperatures correlates with the response to 9-cis-retinal among variants bearing mutations within a hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TM2). The most sensitive variants appear to disrupt a native helical kink within this transmembrane domain. By comparison, mutants that alter the structure of a polar transmembrane domain (TM7) exhibit weaker responses to temperature and retinal that are poorly correlated. Statistical analyses suggest that this observed insensitivity cannot be attributed to a single variable, but likely arises from the composite effects of mutations on the energetics of membrane integration, the stability of the native conformation, and the integrity of the retinal-binding pocket. Finally, we show that the characteristics of purified temperature- and retinal-sensitive variants suggest that the proteostatic effects of retinal may be manifested during translation and cotranslational folding. Together, our findings highlight several biophysical constraints that appear to influence the sensitivity of genetic variants to temperature and small-molecule correctors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G McKee
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Charles P Kuntz
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Joseph T Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Hope Woods
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chemical and Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Victoria Most
- Institute for Drug Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, SAC, Germany
| | - Francis J Roushar
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Institute for Drug Development, Leipzig University, Leipzig, SAC, Germany
| | - Beata Jastrzebska
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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5
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Unraveling the genetic complexities of combined retinal dystrophy and hearing impairment. Hum Genet 2021; 141:785-803. [PMID: 34148116 PMCID: PMC9035000 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02303-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Usher syndrome, the most prevalent cause of combined hereditary vision and hearing impairment, is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. Moreover, several conditions with phenotypes overlapping Usher syndrome have been described. This makes the molecular diagnosis of hereditary deaf–blindness challenging. Here, we performed exome sequencing and analysis on 7 Mexican and 52 Iranian probands with combined retinal degeneration and hearing impairment (without intellectual disability). Clinical assessment involved ophthalmological examination and hearing loss questionnaire. Usher syndrome, most frequently due to biallelic variants in MYO7A (USH1B in 16 probands), USH2A (17 probands), and ADGRV1 (USH2C in 7 probands), was diagnosed in 44 of 59 (75%) unrelated probands. Almost half of the identified variants were novel. Nine of 59 (15%) probands displayed other genetic entities with dual sensory impairment, including Alström syndrome (3 patients), cone-rod dystrophy and hearing loss 1 (2 probands), and Heimler syndrome (1 patient). Unexpected findings included one proband each with Scheie syndrome, coenzyme Q10 deficiency, and pseudoxanthoma elasticum. In four probands, including three Usher cases, dual sensory impairment was either modified/aggravated or caused by variants in distinct genes associated with retinal degeneration and/or hearing loss. The overall diagnostic yield of whole exome analysis in our deaf–blind cohort was 92%. Two (3%) probands were partially solved and only 3 (5%) remained without any molecular diagnosis. In many cases, the molecular diagnosis is important to guide genetic counseling, to support prognostic outcomes and decisions with currently available and evolving treatment modalities.
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Solanki AK, Biswal MR, Walterhouse S, Martin R, Kondkar AA, Knölker HJ, Rahman B, Arif E, Husain S, Montezuma SR, Nihalani D, Lobo GP. Loss of Motor Protein MYO1C Causes Rhodopsin Mislocalization and Results in Impaired Visual Function. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061322. [PMID: 34073294 PMCID: PMC8229726 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Unconventional myosins, linked to deafness, are also proposed to play a role in retinal cell physiology. However, their direct role in photoreceptor function remains unclear. We demonstrate that systemic loss of the unconventional myosin MYO1C in mice, specifically causes rhodopsin mislocalization, leading to impaired visual function. Electroretinogram analysis of Myo1c knockout (Myo1c-KO) mice showed a progressive loss of photoreceptor function. Immunohistochemistry and binding assays demonstrated MYO1C localization to photoreceptor inner and outer segments (OS) and identified a direct interaction of rhodopsin with MYO1C. In Myo1c-KO retinas, rhodopsin mislocalized to rod inner segments (IS) and cell bodies, while cone opsins in OS showed punctate staining. In aged mice, the histological and ultrastructural examination of the phenotype of Myo1c-KO retinas showed progressively shorter photoreceptor OS. These results demonstrate that MYO1C is important for rhodopsin localization to the photoreceptor OS, and for normal visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish K. Solanki
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (A.K.S.); (S.W.); (B.R.); (E.A.)
| | - Manas R. Biswal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Stephen Walterhouse
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (A.K.S.); (S.W.); (B.R.); (E.A.)
| | - René Martin
- Faculty of Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstraße 66, 01069 Dresden, Germany; (R.M.); (H.-J.K.)
| | - Altaf A. Kondkar
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11411, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hans-Joachim Knölker
- Faculty of Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstraße 66, 01069 Dresden, Germany; (R.M.); (H.-J.K.)
| | - Bushra Rahman
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (A.K.S.); (S.W.); (B.R.); (E.A.)
| | - Ehtesham Arif
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (A.K.S.); (S.W.); (B.R.); (E.A.)
| | - Shahid Husain
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - Sandra R. Montezuma
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, 516 Delaware Street S.E., 9th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | - Deepak Nihalani
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bldg. 2DEM, Room 6085, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Correspondence: (D.N.); (G.P.L.)
| | - Glenn Prazere Lobo
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (A.K.S.); (S.W.); (B.R.); (E.A.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, Lions Research Building, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th Street S.E., Room 225, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: (D.N.); (G.P.L.)
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7
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Khelashvili G, Pillai AN, Lee J, Pandey K, Payne AM, Siegel Z, Cuendet MA, Lewis TR, Arshavsky VY, Broichhagen J, Levitz J, Menon AK. Unusual mode of dimerization of retinitis pigmentosa-associated F220C rhodopsin. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10536. [PMID: 34006992 PMCID: PMC8131606 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90039-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin are a common cause of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease. Rhodopsin self-associates in the membrane, and the purified monomeric apo-protein opsin dimerizes in vitro as it transitions from detergent micelles to reconstitute into a lipid bilayer. We previously reported that the retinitis pigmentosa-linked F220C opsin mutant fails to dimerize in vitro, reconstituting as a monomer. Using fluorescence-based assays and molecular dynamics simulations we now report that whereas wild-type and F220C opsin display distinct dimerization propensities in vitro as previously shown, they both dimerize in the plasma membrane of HEK293 cells. Unexpectedly, molecular dynamics simulations show that F220C opsin forms an energetically favored dimer in the membrane when compared with the wild-type protein. The conformation of the F220C dimer is unique, with transmembrane helices 5 and 6 splayed apart, promoting widening of the intracellular vestibule of each protomer and influx of water into the protein interior. FRET experiments with SNAP-tagged wild-type and F220C opsin expressed in HEK293 cells are consistent with this conformational difference. We speculate that the unusual mode of dimerization of F220C opsin in the membrane may have physiological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | | | - Joon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Kalpana Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alexander M Payne
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zarek Siegel
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michel A Cuendet
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1009, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tylor R Lewis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut Für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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8
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Hauser FE, Ilves KL, Schott RK, Alvi E, López-Fernández H, Chang BSW. Evolution, inactivation and loss of short wavelength-sensitive opsin genes during the diversification of Neotropical cichlids. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1688-1703. [PMID: 33569886 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Natural variation in the number, expression and function of sensory genes in an organism's genome is often tightly linked to different ecological and evolutionary forces. Opsin genes, which code for the first step in visual transduction, are ideal models for testing how ecological factors such as light environment may influence visual system adaptation. Neotropical cichlid fishes are a highly ecologically diverse group that evolved in a variety of aquatic habitats, including black (stained), white (opaque) and clear waters. We used cross-species exon capture to sequence Neotropical cichlid short wavelength-sensitive (SWS) opsins, which mediate ultraviolet (UV) to blue visual sensitivity. Neotropical cichlid SWS1 opsin (UV-sensitive) underwent a relaxation of selective constraint during the early phases of cichlid diversification in South America, leading to pseudogenization and loss. Conversely, SWS2a (blue-sensitive) experienced a burst of episodic positive selection at the base of the South American cichlid radiation. This burst coincides with SWS1 relaxation and loss, and is consistent with findings in ecomorphological studies characterizing a period of extensive ecological divergence in Neotropical cichlids. We use ancestral sequence reconstruction and protein modelling to investigate mutations along this ancestral branch that probably modified SWS2a function. Together, our results suggest that variable light environments played a prominent early role in shaping SWS opsin diversity during the Neotropical cichlid radiation. Our results also illustrate that long-term evolution under light-limited conditions in South America may have reduced visual system plasticity; specifically, early losses of UV sensitivity may have constrained the evolutionary trajectory of Neotropical cichlid vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Hauser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katriina L Ilves
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan K Schott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Erin Alvi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hernán López-Fernández
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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9
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Park PSH. Supramolecular organization of rhodopsin in rod photoreceptor cell membranes. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1361-1376. [PMID: 33591421 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02522-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is the light receptor in rod photoreceptor cells that initiates scotopic vision. Studies on the light receptor span well over a century, yet questions about the organization of rhodopsin within the photoreceptor cell membrane still persist and a consensus view on the topic is still elusive. Rhodopsin has been intensely studied for quite some time, and there is a wealth of information to draw from to formulate an organizational picture of the receptor in native membranes. Early experimental evidence in apparent support for a monomeric arrangement of rhodopsin in rod photoreceptor cell membranes is contrasted and reconciled with more recent visual evidence in support of a supramolecular organization of rhodopsin. What is known so far about the determinants of forming a supramolecular structure and possible functional roles for such an organization are also discussed. Many details are still missing on the structural and functional properties of the supramolecular organization of rhodopsin in rod photoreceptor cell membranes. The emerging picture presented here can serve as a springboard towards a more in-depth understanding of the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S-H Park
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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10
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Torrens-Fontanals M, Stepniewski TM, Aranda-García D, Morales-Pastor A, Medel-Lacruz B, Selent J. How Do Molecular Dynamics Data Complement Static Structural Data of GPCRs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5933. [PMID: 32824756 PMCID: PMC7460635 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are implicated in nearly every physiological process in the human body and therefore represent an important drug targeting class. Advances in X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have provided multiple static structures of GPCRs in complex with various signaling partners. However, GPCR functionality is largely determined by their flexibility and ability to transition between distinct structural conformations. Due to this dynamic nature, a static snapshot does not fully explain the complexity of GPCR signal transduction. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer the opportunity to simulate the structural motions of biological processes at atomic resolution. Thus, this technique can incorporate the missing information on protein flexibility into experimentally solved structures. Here, we review the contribution of MD simulations to complement static structural data and to improve our understanding of GPCR physiology and pharmacology, as well as the challenges that still need to be overcome to reach the full potential of this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariona Torrens-Fontanals
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Tomasz Maciej Stepniewski
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
- InterAx Biotech AG, PARK innovAARE, 5234 Villigen, Switzerland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Aranda-García
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Adrián Morales-Pastor
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Brian Medel-Lacruz
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
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11
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Lewis TR, Shores CR, Cady MA, Hao Y, Arshavsky VY, Burns ME. The F220C and F45L rhodopsin mutations identified in retinitis pigmentosa patients do not cause pathology in mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7538. [PMID: 32371886 PMCID: PMC7200662 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64437-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa is a retinal degenerative disease that leads to blindness through photoreceptor loss. Rhodopsin is the most frequently mutated protein in this disease. While many rhodopsin mutations have well-understood consequences that lead to cell death, the disease association of several rhodopsin mutations identified in retinitis pigmentosa patients, including F220C and F45L, has been disputed. In this study, we generated two knockin mouse lines bearing each of these mutations. We did not observe any photoreceptor degeneration in either heterozygous or homozygous animals of either line. F220C mice exhibited minor disruptions of photoreceptor outer segment dimensions without any mislocalization of outer segment proteins, whereas photoreceptors of F45L mice were normal. Suction electrode recordings from individual photoreceptors of both mutant lines showed normal flash sensitivity and photoresponse kinetics. Taken together, these data suggest that neither the F220C nor F45L mutation has pathological consequences in mice and, therefore, may not be causative of retinitis pigmentosa in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tylor R Lewis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Camilla R Shores
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
| | - Martha A Cady
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Ying Hao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, United States.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Marie E Burns
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, United States. .,Center for Neuroscience and Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, United States.
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Van Nynatten A, Janzen FH, Brochu K, Maldonado-Ocampo JA, Crampton WGR, Chang BSW, Lovejoy NR. To see or not to see: molecular evolution of the rhodopsin visual pigment in neotropical electric fishes. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191182. [PMID: 31288710 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional variation in rhodopsin, the dim-light-specialized visual pigment, frequently occurs in species inhabiting light-limited environments. Variation in visual function can arise through two processes: relaxation of selection or adaptive evolution improving photon detection in a given environment. Here, we investigate the molecular evolution of rhodopsin in Gymnotiformes, an order of mostly nocturnal South American fishes that evolved sophisticated electrosensory capabilities. Our initial sequencing revealed a mutation associated with visual disease in humans. As these fishes are thought to have poor vision, this would be consistent with a possible sensory trade-off between the visual system and a novel electrosensory system. To investigate this, we surveyed rhodopsin from 147 gymnotiform species, spanning the order, and analysed patterns of molecular evolution. In contrast with our expectation, we detected strong selective constraint in gymnotiform rhodopsin, with rates of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions lower in gymnotiforms than in other vertebrate lineages. In addition, we found evidence for positive selection on the branch leading to gymnotiforms and on a branch leading to a clade of deep-channel specialized gymnotiform species. We also found evidence that deleterious effects of a human disease-associated substitution are likely to be masked by epistatic substitutions at nearby sites. Our results suggest that rhodopsin remains an important component of the gymnotiform sensory system alongside electrolocation, and that photosensitivity of rhodopsin is well adapted for vision in dim-light environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Van Nynatten
- 1 Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3G5.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M1C 1A4
| | - Francesco H Janzen
- 3 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Ontario , Canada K1N 6N5.,4 Canadian Museum of Nature , Ottawa, Ontario , Canada K1P 6P4
| | - Kristen Brochu
- 5 Department of Entomology, Penn State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA
| | - Javier A Maldonado-Ocampo
- 6 Laboratorio de Ictiología, Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática-UNESIS, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana , Bogotá , Colombia
| | - William G R Crampton
- 7 Department of Biology, University of Central Florida , Orlando, FL 32816 , USA
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- 1 Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3G5.,8 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3B2.,9 Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Nathan R Lovejoy
- 1 Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3G5.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M1C 1A4.,8 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M5S 3B2
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13
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Syed Haneef SA, Ranganathan S. Structural bioinformatics analysis of variants on GPCR function. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 55:161-177. [PMID: 31174013 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key membrane-embedded receptor proteins, with critical roles in cellular signal transduction. In the era of precision medicine, understanding the role of natural variants on GPCR function is critical, especially from a pharmacogenomics viewpoint. Studies involved in mapping variants to GPCR structures are briefly reviewed here. The endocannabinoid system involving the central nervous system (CNS), the human cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), is an important drug target and its variability has implications for disease susceptibility and altered drug and pain response. We have carried out a computational study to map deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) to CB1. CB1 mutations were computationally evaluated from neutral to deleterious, and the top twelve deleterious mutations, with structural information, were found to be either close to the ligand binding region or the G-protein binding site. We have mapped these to the active and inactive CB1 X-ray crystallographic structures to correlate variants with available phenotypic information. We have also carried out molecular dynamics simulations to functionally characterize four selected mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Askar Syed Haneef
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Shoba Ranganathan
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.
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14
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Ortega JT, Parmar T, Jastrzebska B. Flavonoids enhance rod opsin stability, folding, and self-association by directly binding to ligand-free opsin and modulating its conformation. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:8101-8122. [PMID: 30944172 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin (Rho) is a visual G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the rod photoreceptors of the eye, where it mediates transmission of a light signal into a cell and converts this signal into a nerve impulse. More than 100 mutations in Rho are linked to various ocular impairments, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Accordingly, much effort has been directed toward developing ligands that target Rho and improve its folding and stability. Natural compounds may provide another viable approach to such drug discovery efforts. The dietary polyphenol compounds, ubiquitously present in fruits and vegetables, have beneficial effects in several eye diseases. However, the underlying mechanism of their activity is not fully understood. In this study, we used a combination of computational methods, biochemical and biophysical approaches, including bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, and mammalian cell expression systems to clarify the effects of four common bioactive flavonoids (quercetin, myricetin, and their mono-glycosylated forms quercetin-3-rhamnoside and myricetrin) on rod opsin stability, function, and membrane organization. We observed that by directly interacting with ligand-free opsin, flavonoids modulate its conformation, thereby causing faster entry of the retinal chromophore into its binding pocket. Moreover, flavonoids significantly increased opsin stability, most likely by introducing structural rigidity and promoting receptor self-association within the biological membranes. Of note, the binding of flavonoids to an RP-linked P23H opsin variant partially restored its normal cellular trafficking. Together, our results suggest that flavonoids could be utilized as lead compounds in the development of effective nonretinoid therapeutics for managing RP-related retinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Tanu Parmar
- Department of Pharmacology, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Beata Jastrzebska
- Department of Pharmacology, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
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