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Hofmann KP, Lamb TD. Rhodopsin, light-sensor of vision. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 93:101116. [PMID: 36273969 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The light sensor of vertebrate scotopic (low-light) vision, rhodopsin, is a G-protein-coupled receptor comprising a polypeptide chain with bound chromophore, 11-cis-retinal, that exhibits remarkable physicochemical properties. This photopigment is extremely stable in the dark, yet its chromophore isomerises upon photon absorption with 70% efficiency, enabling the activation of its G-protein, transducin, with high efficiency. Rhodopsin's photochemical and biochemical activities occur over very different time-scales: the energy of retinaldehyde's excited state is stored in <1 ps in retinal-protein interactions, but it takes milliseconds for the catalytically active state to form, and many tens of minutes for the resting state to be restored. In this review, we describe the properties of rhodopsin and its role in rod phototransduction. We first introduce rhodopsin's gross structural features, its evolution, and the basic mechanisms of its activation. We then discuss light absorption and spectral sensitivity, photoreceptor electrical responses that result from the activity of individual rhodopsin molecules, and recovery of rhodopsin and the visual system from intense bleaching exposures. We then provide a detailed examination of rhodopsin's molecular structure and function, first in its dark state, and then in the active Meta states that govern its interactions with transducin, rhodopsin kinase and arrestin. While it is clear that rhodopsin's molecular properties are exquisitely honed for phototransduction, from starlight to dawn/dusk intensity levels, our understanding of how its molecular interactions determine the properties of scotopic vision remains incomplete. We describe potential future directions of research, and outline several major problems that remain to be solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Peter Hofmann
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité, and, Zentrum für Biophysik und Bioinformatik, Humboldt-Unversität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
| | - Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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Kawamura S, Tachibanaki S. Molecular basis of rod and cone differences. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 90:101040. [PMID: 34974196 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In the vertebrate retina, rods and cones both detect light, but they are different in functional aspects such as light sensitivity and time resolution, for example, and in some of cell biological aspects. For functional aspects, both photoreceptors are known to share a common mechanism, phototransduction cascade, consisting of a series of enzyme reactions to convert a photon-capture signal to an electrical signal. To understand the mechanisms of the functional differences between rods and cones at the molecular level, we compared biochemically each of the reactions in the phototransduction cascade between rods and cones using the cells isolated and purified from carp retina. Although proteins in the cascade are functionally similar between rods and cones, their activities together with their expression levels are mostly different between these photoreceptors. In general, reactions to generate a response are slightly less effective, as a total, in cones than in rods, but each of the reactions for termination and recovery of a response are much more effective in cones. These findings explain lower light sensitivity and briefer light responses in cones than in rods. In addition, our considerations suggest that a Ca2+-binding protein, S-modulin or recoverin, has a currently unnoticed role in shaping light responses. With comparison of the expression levels of proteins and/or mRNAs using purified cells, several proteins were found to be specifically or predominantly expressed in cones. These proteins would be of interest for future studies on the difference between rods and cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Kawamura
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Yamada-oka 1-3, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Yamada-oka 1-3, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Shuji Tachibanaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Yamada-oka 1-3, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Yamada-oka 1-3, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Dawood M, Lin S, Din TU, Shah IU, Khan N, Jan A, Marwan M, Sultan K, Nowshid M, Tahir R, Ahmed AN, Yasin M, Baple EL, Crosby AH, Saleha S. Novel mutations in PDE6A and CDHR1 cause retinitis pigmentosa in Pakistani families. Int J Ophthalmol 2021; 14:1843-1851. [PMID: 34926197 PMCID: PMC8640774 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2021.12.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the genetic basis of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in two consanguineous/ endogamous Pakistani families. METHODS Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on genomic DNA samples of patients with arRP to identify disease causing mutations. Sanger sequencing was performed to confirm familial segregation of identified mutations, and potential pathogenicity was determined by predictions of the mutations' functions. RESULTS A novel homozygous frameshift mutation [NM_000440.2:c.1054delG, p. (Gln352Argfs*4); Chr5:g.149286886del (GRCh37)] in the PDE6A gene in an endogamous family and a novel homozygous splice site mutation [NM_033100.3:c.1168-1G>A, Chr10:g.85968484G>A (GRCh37)] in the CDHR1 gene in a consanguineous family were identified. The PDE6A variant p. (Gln352Argfs*4) was predicted to be deleterious or pathogenic, whilst the CDHR1 variant c.1168-1G>A was predicted to result in potential alteration of splicing. CONCLUSION This study expands the spectrum of genetic variants for arRP in Pakistani families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Dawood
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Siying Lin
- Medical Research, RILD Wellcome Wolfson Centre (Level 4), Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Taj Ud Din
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Irfan Ullah Shah
- Department of Ophthalmology, KMU Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Niamat Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Abid Jan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Marwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Komal Sultan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Maha Nowshid
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Raheel Tahir
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Asif Naveed Ahmed
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Yasin
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Emma L. Baple
- Medical Research, RILD Wellcome Wolfson Centre (Level 4), Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Andrew H. Crosby
- Medical Research, RILD Wellcome Wolfson Centre (Level 4), Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Shamim Saleha
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat 26000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase (PDE6): Structure, Regulatory Mechanisms, and Implications for Treatment of Retinal Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1371:33-59. [PMID: 34170501 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2021_649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6) is a member of large family of Class I phosphodiesterases responsible for hydrolyzing the second messengers cAMP and cGMP. PDE6 consists of two catalytic subunits and two inhibitory subunits that form a tetrameric protein. PDE6 is a peripheral membrane protein that is localized to the signal-transducing compartment of rod and cone photoreceptors. As the central effector enzyme of the G-protein coupled visual transduction pathway, activation of PDE6 catalysis causes a rapid decrease in cGMP levels that results in closure of cGMP-gated ion channels in the photoreceptor plasma membrane. Because of its importance in the phototransduction pathway, mutations in PDE6 genes result in various retinal diseases that currently lack therapeutic treatment strategies due to inadequate knowledge of the structure, function, and regulation of this enzyme. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding the structure of the regulatory and catalytic domains of the PDE6 holoenzyme, the central role of the multi-functional inhibitory γ-subunit, the mechanism of activation by the heterotrimeric G protein, transducin, and future directions for pharmacological interventions to treat retinal degenerative diseases arising from mutations in the PDE6 genes.
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A hybrid stochastic/deterministic model of single photon response and light adaptation in mouse rods. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:3720-3734. [PMID: 34285774 PMCID: PMC8258797 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A hybrid stochastic/deterministic model of mouse rod phototransduction is presented. Rod photocurrent to photovoltage conversion in darkness is accurately characterized. Photoresponses to dim and bright stimuli and in various mutants are well reproduced. Recently debated molecular mechanisms of the phototransduction cascade are examined.
The phototransduction cascade is paradigmatic for signaling pathways initiated by G protein-coupled receptors and is characterized by a fine regulation of photoreceptor sensitivity and electrical response to a broad range of light stimuli. Here, we present a biochemically comprehensive model of phototransduction in mouse rods based on a hybrid stochastic and deterministic mathematical framework, and a quantitatively accurate description of the rod impedance in the dark. The latter, combined with novel patch clamp recordings from rod outer segments, enables the interconversion of dim flash responses between photovoltage and photocurrent and thus direct comparison with the simulations. The model reproduces the salient features of the experimental photoresponses at very dim and bright stimuli, for both normal photoreceptors and those with genetically modified cascade components. Our modelling approach recapitulates a number of recent findings in vertebrate phototransduction. First, our results are in line with the recently established requirement of dimeric activation of PDE6 by transducin and further show that such conditions can be fulfilled at the expense of a significant excess of G protein activated by rhodopsin. Secondly, simulations suggest a crucial role of the recoverin-mediated Ca2+-feedback on rhodopsin kinase in accelerating the shutoff, when light flashes are delivered in the presence of a light background. Finally, stochastic simulations suggest that transient complexes between dark rhodopsin and transducin formed prior to light stimulation increase the reproducibility of single photon responses. Current limitations of the model are likely associated with the yet unknown mechanisms governing the shutoff of the cascade.
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Key Words
- ADP, adenosine diphosphate
- ATP, adenosine-5′-triphosphate
- Arr, arrestin
- BG, background illumination
- CNG, cyclic nucleotide-gated (channel)
- CSM, completely substituted mutant of rhodopsin
- CV, coefficient of variation
- DM, deterministic model
- Dynamic modeling
- E, effector of the phototransduction cascade, activated PDE
- FFT, fast Fourier-transform
- GC, guanylate cyclase
- GCAPs, guanylate cyclase-activating proteins
- GDP, guanosine-5′-diphosphate
- GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor
- GTP, guanosine-5′-triphosphate
- Gt, G protein/transducin
- Gα, α-subunit of the G protein
- Gβγ, β- and γ-subunit of the G protein
- HSDM, hybrid stochastic/deterministic model
- Light adaptation
- MPR, multiple photon response
- PDE, phosphodiesterase 6
- Ph, photons
- Phototransduction
- R, rhodopsin
- RGS, regulator of G protein signaling
- RK, rhodopsin kinase
- ROS, rod outer segment
- Rec, recoverin
- Rn, activated rhodopsin that has been phosphorylated n times
- SD, standard deviation
- SPR, single photon response
- Stochastic simulation
- Systems biology
- TTP, time to peak
- cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate
- ΔJ, photocurrent
- ΔU, photovoltage
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Abtout A, Fain G, Reingruber J. Analysis of waveform and amplitude of mouse rod and cone flash responses. J Physiol 2021; 599:3295-3312. [PMID: 33977528 DOI: 10.1113/jp281225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Most vertebrate eyes have rod and cone photoreceptors, which use a signal transduction pathway consisting of many biological processes to transform light into an electrical response. We dissect and quantify the contribution of each of these processes to the photoreceptor light response by using a novel method of analysis that provides an analytical solution for the entire time course of the dim-flash light response. We find that the shape of the light response is exclusively controlled by deactivation parameters. Activation parameters scale this shape and alter the response amplitude. We show that the rising phase of the response depends on Ca2+ feedback, and we identify the deactivation parameters that control the recovery phase of the response. We devise new methods to extract values for deactivation and activation parameters from a separate analysis of response shape and response amplitude. ABSTRACT Vertebrate eyes have rod and cone photoreceptors, which use a complex transduction pathway comprising many biological processes to transform the absorption of light into an electrical response. A fundamental question in sensory transduction is how these processes contribute to the response. To study this question, we use a well-accepted phototransduction model, which we analyse with a novel method based on the log transform of the current. We derive an analytical solution that describes the entire time course of the photoreceptor response to dim flashes of light. We use this solution to dissect and quantify the contribution of each process to the response. We find that the entire dim-flash response is proportional to the flash intensity. By normalizing responses to unit amplitude, we define a waveform that is independent of the light intensity and characterizes the invariant shape of dim-flash responses. We show that this waveform is exclusively determined by deactivation rates; activation rates only scale the waveform and affect the amplitude. This analysis corrects a previous assumption that the rising phase is determined entirely by activation rates. We further show that the rising phase depends on Ca2+ feedback to the cyclase, contrary to current belief. We identify the deactivation rates that control the recovery phase of the response, and we devise new methods to extract activation and deactivation rates from an analysis of response shape and response amplitude. In summary, we provide a comprehensive understanding of how the various transduction processes produce the cellular response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annia Abtout
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Gordon Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Gulati S, Palczewski K. New focus on regulation of the rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 69:99-107. [PMID: 33945959 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6) is the key catalytic enzyme of visual phototransduction. PDE6 is the only member of the phosphodiesterase family that consists of a heterodimeric catalytic core composed of PDE6α and PDE6β subunits and two inhibitory PDE6γ subunits. Both PDE6α and PDE6β contain two regulatory GAF domains and one catalytic domain. GAF domains and the tightly bound PDE6γ subunits allosterically regulate the activity of the catalytic domain in association with the GTP-bound transducin alpha subunit (Gtα-GTP). Recent cryo-electron microscopy structures of the PDE6αγβγ and PDE6αγβγ-(Gtα-GTP)2 complexes have provided valuable knowledge shedding additional light on the allosteric activation of PDE6 by Gtα-GTP. Here we discuss recent developments in our understanding of the mechanism of PDE6 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, 829 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; The Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; The Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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8
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Functional modulation of phosphodiesterase-6 by calcium in mouse rod photoreceptors. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8938. [PMID: 33903621 PMCID: PMC8076185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88140-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) is a key protein in the G-protein cascade converting photon information to bioelectrical signals in vertebrate photoreceptor cells. Here, we demonstrate that PDE6 is regulated by calcium, contrary to the common view that PDE1 is the unique PDE class whose activity is modulated by intracellular Ca2+. To broaden the operating range of photoreceptors, mammalian rod photoresponse recovery is accelerated mainly by two calcium sensor proteins: recoverin, modulating the lifetime of activated rhodopsin, and guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs), regulating the cGMP synthesis. We found that decreasing rod intracellular Ca2+ concentration accelerates the flash response recovery and increases the basal PDE6 activity (βdark) maximally by ~ 30% when recording local electroretinography across the rod outer segment layer from GCAPs-/- recoverin-/- mice. Our modeling shows that a similar elevation in βdark can fully explain the observed acceleration of flash response recovery in low Ca2+. Additionally, a reduction of the free Ca2+ in GCAPs-/- recoverin-/- rods shifted the inhibition constants of competitive PDE inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) against the thermally activated and light-activated forms of PDE6 to opposite directions, indicating a complex interaction between IBMX, PDE6, and calcium. The discovered regulation of PDE6 is a previously unknown mechanism in the Ca2+-mediated modulation of rod light sensitivity.
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Photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6): activation and inactivation mechanisms during visual transduction in rods and cones. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1377-1391. [PMID: 33860373 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02562-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Rod and cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina utilize cGMP as the primary intracellular messenger for the visual signaling pathway that converts a light stimulus into an electrical response. cGMP metabolism in the signal-transducing photoreceptor outer segment reflects the balance of cGMP synthesis (catalyzed by guanylyl cyclase) and degradation (catalyzed by the photoreceptor phosphodiesterase, PDE6). Upon light stimulation, rapid activation of PDE6 by the heterotrimeric G-protein (transducin) triggers a dramatic drop in cGMP levels that lead to cell hyperpolarization. Following cessation of the light stimulus, the lifetime of activated PDE6 is also precisely regulated by additional processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the structural characterization of the rod and cone PDE6 catalytic and regulatory subunits in the context of previous biochemical studies of the enzymological properties and allosteric regulation of PDE6. Emphasis is given to recent advances in understanding the structural and conformational changes underlying the mechanism by which the activated transducin α-subunit binds to-and relieves inhibition of-PDE6 catalysis that is controlled by its intrinsically disordered, inhibitory γ-subunit. The role of the regulator of G-protein signaling 9-1 (RGS9-1) in regulating the lifetime of the transducin-PDE6 is also briefly covered. The therapeutic potential of pharmacological compounds acting as inhibitors or activators targeting PDE6 is discussed in the context of inherited retinal diseases resulting from mutations in rod and cone PDE6 genes as well as other inherited defects that arise from excessive cGMP accumulation in retinal photoreceptor cells.
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10
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Phototransduction gain at the G-protein, transducin, and effector protein, phosphodiesterase-6, stages in retinal rods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 116:8653-8654. [PMID: 31040258 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904017116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Lamb TD, Kraft TW. A quantitative account of mammalian rod phototransduction with PDE6 dimeric activation: responses to bright flashes. Open Biol 2020; 10:190241. [PMID: 31910741 PMCID: PMC7014685 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.190241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We develop an improved quantitative model of mammalian rod phototransduction, and we apply it to the prediction of responses to bright flashes of light. We take account of the recently characterized dimeric nature of PDE6 activation, where the configuration of primary importance has two transducin molecules bound. We simulate the stochastic nature of the activation and shut-off reactions to generate the predicted kinetics of the active molecular species on the disc membrane surfaces, and then we integrate the differential equations for the downstream cytoplasmic reactions to obtain the predicted electrical responses. The simulated responses recover the qualitative form of bright-flash response families recorded from mammalian rod photoreceptors. Furthermore, they provide an accurate description of the relationship between the time spent in saturation and flash intensity, predicting the transition between first and second ‘dominant time constants’ to occur at an intensity around 5000 isomerizations per flash, when the rate of transducin activation is taken to be 1250 transducins s−1 per activated rhodopsin. This rate is consistent with estimates from light-scattering experiments, but is around fourfold higher than has typically been assumed in other studies. We conclude that our model and parameters provide a compelling description of rod photoreceptor bright-flash responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Timothy W Kraft
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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12
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Lamb TD. Evolution of the genes mediating phototransduction in rod and cone photoreceptors. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 76:100823. [PMID: 31790748 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.100823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews current knowledge of the evolution of the multiple genes encoding proteins that mediate the process of phototransduction in rod and cone photoreceptors of vertebrates. The approach primarily involves molecular phylogenetic analysis of phototransduction protein sequences, combined with analysis of the syntenic arrangement of the genes. At least 35 of these phototransduction genes appear to reside on no more than five paralogons - paralogous regions that each arose from a common ancestral region. Furthermore, it appears that such paralogs arose through quadruplication during the two rounds of genome duplication (2R WGD) that occurred in a chordate ancestor prior to the vertebrate radiation, probably around 600 millions years ago. For several components of the phototransduction cascade, it is shown that distinct isoforms already existed prior to WGD, with the likely implication that separate classes of scotopic and photopic photoreceptor cells had already evolved by that stage. The subsequent quadruplication of the entire genome then permitted the refinement of multiple distinct protein isoforms in rods and cones. A unified picture of the likely pattern and approximate timing of all the important gene duplications is synthesised, and the implications for our understanding of the evolution of rod and cone phototransduction are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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13
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Irwin MJ, Gupta R, Gao XZ, Cahill KB, Chu F, Cote RH. The molecular architecture of photoreceptor phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) with activated G protein elucidates the mechanism of visual excitation. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:19486-19497. [PMID: 31690623 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) is the central effector of the visual excitation pathway in both rod and cone photoreceptors, and PDE6 mutations that alter PDE6 structure or regulation can result in several human retinal diseases. The rod PDE6 holoenzyme consists of two catalytic subunits (Pαβ) whose activity is suppressed in the dark by binding of two inhibitory γ-subunits (Pγ). Upon photoactivation of rhodopsin, the heterotrimeric G protein (transducin) is activated, resulting in binding of the activated transducin α-subunit (Gtα) to PDE6, displacement of Pγ from the PDE6 active site, and enzyme activation. Although the biochemistry of this pathway is understood, a lack of detailed structural information about the PDE6 activation mechanism hampers efforts to develop therapeutic interventions for managing PDE6-associated retinal diseases. To address this gap, here we used a cross-linking MS-based approach to create a model of the entire interaction surface of Pγ with the regulatory and catalytic domains of Pαβ in its nonactivated state. Following reconstitution of PDE6 and activated Gtα with liposomes and identification of cross-links between Gtα and PDE6 subunits, we determined that the PDE6-Gtα protein complex consists of two Gtα-binding sites per holoenzyme. Each Gtα interacts with the catalytic domains of both catalytic subunits and induces major changes in the interaction sites of the Pγ subunit with the catalytic subunits. These results provide the first structural model for the activated state of the transducin-PDE6 complex during visual excitation, enhancing our understanding of the molecular etiology of inherited retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Irwin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Richa Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Xiong-Zhuo Gao
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Karyn B Cahill
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Feixia Chu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Rick H Cote
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
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Yau KW, Yue WWS, Silverman D. Reply to Heck et al.: Signal amplification at the rhodopsin-to-transducin·phosphodiesterase step in rod phototransduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:8655-8656. [PMID: 31040259 PMCID: PMC6500114 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904339116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K-W Yau
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205;
| | - W W S Yue
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - D Silverman
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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Govardovskii VI, Astakhova LA, Rotov AY, Firsov ML. Rejection of the biophoton hypothesis on the origin of photoreceptor dark noise. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:887-897. [PMID: 30992369 PMCID: PMC6605685 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that retinal “dark light” is caused by photons emitted by the retina itself. The authors show that the “biophoton” radiation from the retina can be detected, but its intensity is ≥100 times lower than necessary to produce the measured physiological noise understood to arise from the spontaneous activation of rhodopsin. Rod photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina produce, in darkness, spontaneous discrete current waves virtually identical to responses to single photons. The waves comprise an irreducible source of noise (discrete dark noise) that may limit the threshold sensitivity of vision. The waves obviously originate from acts of random activation of single rhodopsin molecules. Until recently, it was generally accepted that the activation occurs due to the rhodopsin thermal motion. Yet, a few years ago it was proposed that rhodopsin molecules are activated not by heat but rather by real photons generated within the retina by chemiluminescence. Using a high-sensitive photomultiplier, we measured intensities of biophoton emission from isolated retinas and eyecups of frogs (Rana ridibunda) and fish (sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus). Retinal samples were placed in a perfusion chamber and emitted photons collected by a high-aperture quartz lens. The collected light was sent to the photomultiplier cathode through a rotating chopper so that a long-lasting synchronous accumulation of the light signal was possible. The absolute intensity of bio-emission was estimated by the response of the measuring system to a calibrated light source. The intensity of the source, in turn, was quantified by measuring rhodopsin bleaching with single-rod microspectrophotometry. We also measured the frequency of discrete dark waves in rods of the two species with suction pipette recordings. Expressed as the rate constant of rhodopsin activation, it was 1.2 × 10−11/s in frogs and 7.6 × 10−11/s in sterlets. Approximately two thirds of retinal samples of each species produced reliably measurable biophoton emissions. However, its intensity was ≥100 times lower than necessary to produce the discrete dark noise. We argue that this is just a lower estimate of the discrepancy between the hypothesis and experiment. We conclude that the biophoton hypothesis on the origin of discrete dark noise in photoreceptors must be rejected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor I Govardovskii
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Luba A Astakhova
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander Yu Rotov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michael L Firsov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
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16
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Wang X, Plachetzki DC, Cote RH. The N termini of the inhibitory γ-subunits of phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) from rod and cone photoreceptors differentially regulate transducin-mediated PDE6 activation. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:8351-8360. [PMID: 30962282 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) plays a central role in both rod and cone phototransduction pathways. In the dark, PDE6 activity is suppressed by its inhibitory γ-subunit (Pγ). Rhodopsin-catalyzed activation of the G protein transducin relieves this inhibition and enhances PDE6 catalysis. We hypothesized that amino acid sequence differences between rod- and cone-specific Pγs underlie transducin's ability to more effectively activate cone-specific PDE6 than rod PDE6. To test this, we analyzed rod and cone Pγ sequences from all major vertebrate and cyclostome lineages and found that rod Pγ loci are far more conserved than cone Pγ sequences and that most of the sequence differences are located in the N-terminal region. Next we reconstituted rod PDE6 catalytic dimer (Pαβ) with various rod or cone Pγ variants and analyzed PDE6 activation upon addition of the activated transducin α-subunit (Gtα*-GTPγS). This analysis revealed a rod-specific Pγ motif (amino acids 9-18) that reduces the ability of Gtα*-GTPγS to activate the reconstituted PDE6. In cone Pγ, Asn-13 and Gln-14 significantly enhanced Gtα*-GTPγS activation of cone Pγ truncation variants. Moreover, we observed that the first four amino acids of either rod or cone Pγ contribute to Gtα*-GTPγS-mediated activation of PDE6. We conclude that physiological differences between rod and cone photoreceptor light responsiveness can be partially ascribed to ancient, highly conserved amino acid differences in the N-terminal regions of Pγ isoforms, demonstrating for the first time a functional role for this region of Pγ in the differential activation of rod and cone PDE6 by transducin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - David C Plachetzki
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Rick H Cote
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
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17
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Lamb TD, Heck M, Kraft TW. Implications of dimeric activation of PDE6 for rod phototransduction. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.180076. [PMID: 30068567 PMCID: PMC6119862 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We examine the implications of a recent report providing evidence that two transducins must bind to the rod phosphodiesterase to elicit significant hydrolytic activity. To predict the rod photoreceptor's electrical response, we use numerical simulation of the two-dimensional diffusional contact of interacting molecules at the surface of the disc membrane, and then we use the simulated PDE activity as the driving function for the downstream reaction cascade. The results account for a number of aspects of rod phototransduction that have previously been puzzling. For example, they explain the existence of a greater initial delay in rods than in cones. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that the 'continuous' noise recorded in rods in darkness is likely to arise from spontaneous activation of individual molecules of PDE at a rate of a few tens per second per rod, probably as a consequence of spontaneous activation of transducins at a rate of thousands per second per rod. Hence, the dimeric activation of PDE in rods provides immunity against spontaneous transducin activation, thereby reducing the continuous noise. Our analysis also provides a coherent quantitative explanation of the amplification underlying the single photon response. Overall, numerical analysis of the dimeric activation of PDE places rod phototransduction in a new light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Martin Heck
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik der Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timothy W Kraft
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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18
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Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is crucial for many physiological processes. A signature of such pathways is high amplification, a concept originating from retinal rod phototransduction, whereby one photoactivated rhodopsin molecule (Rho*) was long reported to activate several hundred transducins (GT*s), each then activating a cGMP-phosphodiesterase catalytic subunit (GT*·PDE*). This high gain at the Rho*-to-GT* step has been challenged more recently, but estimates remain dispersed and rely on some nonintact rod measurements. With two independent approaches, one with an extremely inefficient mutant rhodopsin and the other with WT bleached rhodopsin, which has exceedingly weak constitutive activity in darkness, we obtained an estimate for the electrical effect from a single GT*·PDE* molecular complex in intact mouse rods. Comparing the single-GT*·PDE* effect to the WT single-photon response, both in Gcaps-/- background, gives an effective gain of only ∼12-14 GT*·PDE*s produced per Rho*. Our findings have finally dispelled the entrenched concept of very high gain at the receptor-to-G protein/effector step in GPCR systems.
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19
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Gulati S, Palczewski K, Engel A, Stahlberg H, Kovacik L. Cryo-EM structure of phosphodiesterase 6 reveals insights into the allosteric regulation of type I phosphodiesterases. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaav4322. [PMID: 30820458 PMCID: PMC6392808 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav4322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) work in conjunction with adenylate/guanylate cyclases to regulate the key second messengers of G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Previous attempts to determine the full-length structure of PDE family members at high-resolution have been hindered by structural flexibility, especially in their linker regions and N- and C-terminal ends. Therefore, most structure-activity relationship studies have so far focused on truncated and conserved catalytic domains rather than the regulatory domains that allosterically govern the activity of most PDEs. Here, we used single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of the full-length PDE6αβ2γ complex. The final density map resolved at 3.4 Å reveals several previously unseen structural features, including a coiled N-terminal domain and the interface of PDE6γ subunits with the PDE6αβ heterodimer. Comparison of the PDE6αβ2γ complex with the closed state of PDE2A sheds light on the conformational changes associated with the allosteric activation of type I PDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Gulati
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, 829 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 1819 East 101st Street, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, 829 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 1819 East 101st Street, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andreas Engel
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lubomir Kovacik
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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20
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Qureshi BM, Behrmann E, Schöneberg J, Loerke J, Bürger J, Mielke T, Giesebrecht J, Noé F, Lamb TD, Hofmann KP, Spahn CMT, Heck M. It takes two transducins to activate the cGMP-phosphodiesterase 6 in retinal rods. Open Biol 2018; 8:180075. [PMID: 30068566 PMCID: PMC6119865 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Among cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs), PDE6 is unique in serving as an effector enzyme in G protein-coupled signal transduction. In retinal rods and cones, PDE6 is membrane-bound and activated to hydrolyse its substrate, cGMP, by binding of two active G protein α-subunits (Gα*). To investigate the activation mechanism of mammalian rod PDE6, we have collected functional and structural data, and analysed them by reaction-diffusion simulations. Gα* titration of membrane-bound PDE6 reveals a strong functional asymmetry of the enzyme with respect to the affinity of Gα* for its two binding sites on membrane-bound PDE6 and the enzymatic activity of the intermediary 1 : 1 Gα* · PDE6 complex. Employing cGMP and its 8-bromo analogue as substrates, we find that Gα* · PDE6 forms with high affinity but has virtually no cGMP hydrolytic activity. To fully activate PDE6, it takes a second copy of Gα* which binds with lower affinity, forming Gα* · PDE6 · Gα*. Reaction-diffusion simulations show that the functional asymmetry of membrane-bound PDE6 constitutes a coincidence switch and explains the lack of G protein-related noise in visual signal transduction. The high local concentration of Gα* generated by a light-activated rhodopsin molecule efficiently activates PDE6, whereas the low density of spontaneously activated Gα* fails to activate the effector enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal M Qureshi
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elmar Behrmann
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Schöneberg
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Bioinformatics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Justus Loerke
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Bürger
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Microscopy and Cryo Electron Microscopy Group, Max-Planck Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Giesebrecht
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Noé
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Bioinformatics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Trevor D Lamb
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Klaus Peter Hofmann
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Zentrum für Biophysik und Bioinformatik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian M T Spahn
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Heck
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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