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Morshedian A, Jiang Z, Radu RA, Fain GL, Sampath AP. Genetic manipulation of rod-cone differences in mouse retina. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300584. [PMID: 38709779 PMCID: PMC11073714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Though rod and cone photoreceptors use similar phototransduction mechanisms, previous model calculations have indicated that the most important differences in their light responses are likely to be differences in amplification of the G-protein cascade, different decay rates of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and pigment phosphorylation, and different rates of turnover of cGMP in darkness. To test this hypothesis, we constructed TrUx;GapOx rods by crossing mice with decreased transduction gain from decreased transducin expression, with mice displaying an increased rate of PDE decay from increased expression of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). These two manipulations brought the sensitivity of TrUx;GapOx rods to within a factor of 2 of WT cone sensitivity, after correcting for outer-segment dimensions. These alterations did not, however, change photoreceptor adaptation: rods continued to show increment saturation though at a higher background intensity. These experiments confirm model calculations that rod responses can mimic some (though not all) of the features of cone responses after only a few changes in the properties of transduction proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala Morshedian
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Zhichun Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Roxana A. Radu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Gordon L. Fain
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Alapakkam P. Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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2
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Abtout A, Reingruber J. Analysis of dim-light responses in rod and cone photoreceptors with altered calcium kinetics. J Math Biol 2023; 87:69. [PMID: 37823947 PMCID: PMC10570263 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-02005-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina of vertebrates are the primary sensory neurons underlying vision. They convert light into an electrical current using a signal transduction pathway that depends on Ca[Formula: see text] feedback. It is known that manipulating the Ca[Formula: see text] kinetics affects the response shape and the photoreceptor sensitivity, but a precise quantification of these effects remains unclear. We have approached this task in mouse retina by combining numerical simulations with mathematical analysis. We consider a parsimonious phototransduction model that incorporates negative Ca[Formula: see text] feedback onto the synthesis of cyclic GMP, and fast buffering reactions to alter the Ca[Formula: see text] kinetics. We derive analytic results for the photoreceptor functioning in sufficiently dim light conditions depending on the photoreceptor type. We exploit these results to obtain conceptual and quantitative insight into how response waveform and amplitude depend on the underlying biophysical processes and the Ca[Formula: see text] feedback. With a low amount of buffering, the Ca[Formula: see text] concentration changes in proportion to the current, and responses to flashes of light are monophasic. With more buffering, the change in the Ca[Formula: see text] concentration becomes delayed with respect to the current, which gives rise to a damped oscillation and a biphasic waveform. This shows that biphasic responses are not necessarily a manifestation of slow buffering reactions. We obtain analytic approximations for the peak flash amplitude as a function of the light intensity, which shows how the photoreceptor sensitivity depends on the biophysical parameters. Finally, we study how changing the extracellular Ca[Formula: see text] concentration affects the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annia Abtout
- Institute of Biology, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Jürgen Reingruber
- Institute of Biology, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
- INSERM, U1024, Paris, France.
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3
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Smith BJ, McHugh CF, Hirano AA, Brecha NC, Barnes S. Transient and Sustained Ganglion Cell Light Responses Are Differentially Modulated by Intrinsically Produced Reactive Oxygen Species Acting upon Specific Voltage-Gated Na + Channel Isoforms. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2291-2304. [PMID: 36828637 PMCID: PMC10072295 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1723-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing spike rates drive greater neuronal energy demand. In turn, mitochondrial ATP production leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can modulate ion channel gating. Does ROS production autoregulate the excitability of a neuron? We investigated the links between retinal ganglion cell (RGC) excitability and spike activity-driven ROS production in male and female mice. Changes to the light-evoked and current-evoked spike patterns of functionally identified αRGC subtypes, along with their NaV channel-gating properties, were recorded during experimentally induced decreases and increases of intracellular ROS. During periods of highest spike rates (e.g., following light onset in ON sustained RGCs and light offset in OFF sustained RGCs), these αRGC subtypes responded to reductions of ROS (induced by catalase or glutathione monoethyl ester) with higher spike rates. Increases in ROS (induced by mercaptosuccinate, antimycin-A, or H2O2) lowered spike rates. In ON and OFF transient RGCs, there were no changes in spike rate during ROS decreases but increased ROS increased spiking. This suggests that endogenous ROS are intrinsic neuromodulators in RGCs having high metabolic demands but not in RGCs with lower energy needs. We identified ROS-induced shifts in the voltage-dependent gating of specific isoforms of NaV channels that account for the modulation of ON and OFF sustained RGC spike frequency by ROS-mediated feedback. ROS-induced changes to NaV channel gating, affecting activation and inactivation kinetics, are consistent with the differing spike pattern alterations observed in RGC subtypes. Cell-autonomous generation of ROS during spiking contributes to tuning the spike patterns of RGCs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Energy production within retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is accompanied by metabolic by-products harmful to cellular function. How these by-products modulate the excitability of RGCs bears heavily on visual function and the etiology of optic neuropathies. A novel hypothesis of how RGC metabolism can produce automodulation of electrical signaling was tested by identifying the characteristics and biophysical origins of changes to the excitability of RGCs caused by oxidizing by-products in the retina. This impacts our understanding of the pathophysiology of RGC dysfunction, supporting an emerging model in which increases in oxidizing chemical species during energy production, but not necessarily bioenergetic failure, lead to preferential degeneration of specific subtypes of RGCs, yielding loss of different aspects of visual capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Smith
- Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 91103
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Cyrus F McHugh
- Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 91103
| | - Arlene A Hirano
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Nicholas C Brecha
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California 90073
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Steven Barnes
- Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 91103
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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4
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Poria D, Sun C, Santeford A, Kielar M, Apte RS, Kisselev OG, Chen S, Kefalov VJ. EML1 is essential for retinal photoreceptor migration and survival. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2897. [PMID: 35190581 PMCID: PMC8861151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06571-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium regulates the response sensitivity, kinetics and adaptation in photoreceptors. In striped bass cones, this calcium feedback includes direct modulation of the transduction cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels by the calcium-binding protein CNG-modulin. However, the possible role of EML1, the mammalian homolog of CNG-modulin, in modulating phototransduction in mammalian photoreceptors has not been examined. Here, we used mice expressing mutant Eml1 to investigate its role in the development and function of mouse photoreceptors using immunostaining, in-vivo and ex-vivo retinal recordings, and single-cell suction recordings. We found that the mutation of Eml1 causes significant changes in the mouse retinal structure characterized by mislocalization of rods and cones in the inner retina. Consistent with the fraction of mislocalized photoreceptors, rod and cone-driven retina responses were reduced in the mutants. However, the Eml1 mutation had no effect on the dark-adapted responses of rods in the outer nuclear layer. Notably, we observed no changes in the cone sensitivity in the Eml1 mutant animals, either in darkness or during light adaptation, ruling out a role for EML1 in modulating cone CNG channels. Together, our results suggest that EML1 plays an important role in retina development but does not modulate phototransduction in mammalian rods and cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Poria
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, 2121 Gillespie|837 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Chi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Andrea Santeford
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Michel Kielar
- Unité Facultaire d'anatomie et de morphologie, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rajendra S Apte
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Oleg G Kisselev
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Shimming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, 2121 Gillespie|837 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
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5
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Saito T, Whatmore P, Taylor JF, Fernandes JMO, Adam AC, Tocher DR, Espe M, Skjærven KH. Micronutrient supplementation affects DNA methylation in male gonads with potential intergenerational epigenetic inheritance involving the embryonic development through glutamate receptor-associated genes. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:115. [PMID: 35144563 PMCID: PMC8832813 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation has an important role in intergenerational inheritance. An increasing number of studies have reported evidence of germline inheritance of DNA methylation induced by nutritional signals in mammals. Vitamins and minerals as micronutrients contribute to growth performance in vertebrates, including Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and also have a role in epigenetics as environmental factors that alter DNA methylation status. It is important to understand whether micronutrients in the paternal diet can influence the offspring through alterations of DNA methylation signatures in male germ cells. RESULTS Here, we show the effect of micronutrient supplementation on DNA methylation profiles in the male gonad through a whole life cycle feeding trial of Atlantic salmon fed three graded levels of micronutrient components. Our results strongly indicate that micronutrient supplementation affects the DNA methylation status of genes associated with cell signalling, synaptic signalling, and embryonic development. In particular, it substantially affects DNA methylation status in the promoter region of a glutamate receptor gene, glutamate receptor ionotropic, NMDA 3A-like (grin3a-like), when the fish are fed both medium and high doses of micronutrients. Furthermore, two transcription factors, histone deacetylase 2 (hdac2) and a zinc finger protein, bind to the hyper-methylated site in the grin3a-like promoter. An estimated function of hdac2 together with a zinc finger indicates that grin3a-like has a potential role in intergenerational epigenetic inheritance and the regulation of embryonic development affected by paternal diet. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates alterations of gene expression patterns and DNA methylation signatures in the male gonad when Atlantic salmon are fed different levels of micronutrients. Alterations of gene expression patterns are of great interest because the gonads are supposed to have limited metabolic activities compared to other organs, whereas alterations of DNA methylation signatures are of great importance in the field of nutritional epigenetics because the signatures affected by nutrition could be transferred to the next generation. We provide extensive data resources for future work in the context of potential intergenerational inheritance through the male germline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John F Taylor
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | - Douglas R Tocher
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Marit Espe
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
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6
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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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7
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Genovese F, Reisert J, Kefalov VJ. Sensory Transduction in Photoreceptors and Olfactory Sensory Neurons: Common Features and Distinct Characteristics. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:761416. [PMID: 34690705 PMCID: PMC8531253 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.761416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decades have seen tremendous progress in our understanding of the function of photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons, uncovering the mechanisms that determine their properties and, ultimately, our ability to see and smell. This progress has been driven to a large degree by the powerful combination of physiological experimental tools and genetic manipulations, which has enabled us to identify the main molecular players in the transduction cascades of these sensory neurons, how their properties affect the detection and discrimination of stimuli, and how diseases affect our senses of vision and smell. This review summarizes some of the common and unique features of photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons that make these cells so exciting to study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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8
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Structural Insights into Retinal Guanylate Cyclase Activator Proteins (GCAPs). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168731. [PMID: 34445435 PMCID: PMC8395740 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal guanylate cyclases (RetGCs) promote the Ca2+-dependent synthesis of cGMP that coordinates the recovery phase of visual phototransduction in retinal rods and cones. The Ca2+-sensitive activation of RetGCs is controlled by a family of photoreceptor Ca2+ binding proteins known as guanylate cyclase activator proteins (GCAPs). The Mg2+-bound/Ca2+-free GCAPs bind to RetGCs and activate cGMP synthesis (cyclase activity) at low cytosolic Ca2+ levels in light-activated photoreceptors. By contrast, Ca2+-bound GCAPs bind to RetGCs and inactivate cyclase activity at high cytosolic Ca2+ levels found in dark-adapted photoreceptors. Mutations in both RetGCs and GCAPs that disrupt the Ca2+-dependent cyclase activity are genetically linked to various retinal diseases known as cone-rod dystrophies. In this review, I will provide an overview of the known atomic-level structures of various GCAP proteins to understand how protein dimerization and Ca2+-dependent conformational changes in GCAPs control the cyclase activity of RetGCs. This review will also summarize recent structural studies on a GCAP homolog from zebrafish (GCAP5) that binds to Fe2+ and may serve as a Fe2+ sensor in photoreceptors. The GCAP structures reveal an exposed hydrophobic surface that controls both GCAP1 dimerization and RetGC binding. This exposed site could be targeted by therapeutics designed to inhibit the GCAP1 disease mutants, which may serve to mitigate the onset of retinal cone-rod dystrophies.
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9
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Zhao Y, Wang Y, Zhao J, Zhang Z, Jin M, Zhou F, Jin C, Zhang J, Xing J, Wang N, He X, Ren T. PDE2 Inhibits PKA-Mediated Phosphorylation of TFAM to Promote Mitochondrial Ca 2+-Induced Colorectal Cancer Growth. Front Oncol 2021; 11:663778. [PMID: 34235078 PMCID: PMC8256694 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.663778] [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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that the dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) plays a critical role in the growth of tumor cells, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underling mechanism is not fully elucidated. In this study, the regulatory effects of mitochondrial Ca2+ on phosphodiesterase 2 (PDE2)/cAMP/PKA axis and the phosphorylation of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) as well as the growth of CRC cells were systematically investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that MCU-induced mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake activated mitochondrial PDE2 in CRC cells. Moreover, overexpression MCU in CRC led to a 1.9-fold increase in Ca2+ uptake compared to control cells. However, knockdown of MCU resulted in 1.5-fould decrease in Ca2+ uptake in mitochondria compared to the controls. Activation of mitochondrial PDE2 significantly inhibited the activity of mitochondrial protein kinase A (PKA), which subsequently leads to decreased phosphorylation of TFAM. Our data further revealed that PKA regulates the phosphorylation of TFAM and promotes the degradation of phosphorylated TFAM. Thus, TFAM protein levels accumulated in mitochondria when the activity of PKA was inhibited. Overall, this study showed that the overexpression of MCU enhanced CRC growth through promoting the accumulation of TFAM proteins in mitochondria. Conversely, knockdown of MCU in CRC cells resulted in decreased CRC growth. Collectively, these data suggest that the mitochondrial Ca2+-activated PDE2/cAMP/PKA axis plays a key role in regulating TFAM stability and the growth of CRC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Zhao
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaya Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mingpeng Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of General Surgery, Huaihai Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Chao Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Experimental Teaching Center of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinliang Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xianli He
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tingting Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Experimental Teaching Center of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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10
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Song X, Yang Q, Bai Y, Gong K, Wu T, Yu T, Pei Q, Duan W, Huang Z, Wang Z, Liu Z, Kang X, Zhao W, Ma X. Comprehensive analysis of SSRs and database construction using all complete gene-coding sequences in major horticultural and representative plants. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:122. [PMID: 34059664 PMCID: PMC8167114 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are one of the most important genetic markers and widely exist in most species. Here, we identified 249,822 SSRs from 3,951,919 genes in 112 plants. Then, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of these SSRs and constructed a plant SSR database (PSSRD). Interestingly, more SSRs were found in lower plants than in higher plants, showing that lower plants needed to adapt to early extreme environments. Four specific enriched functional terms in the lower plant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were detected when it was compared with seven other higher plants. In addition, Guanylate_cyc existed in more genes of lower plants than of higher plants. In our PSSRD, we constructed an interactive plotting function in the chart interface, and users can easily view the detailed information of SSRs. All SSR information, including sequences, primers, and annotations, can be downloaded from our database. Moreover, we developed Web SSR Finder and Batch SSR Finder tools, which can be easily used for identifying SSRs. Our database was developed using PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and MySQL, which are freely available at http://www.pssrd.info/ . We conducted an analysis of the Myb gene families and flowering genes as two applications of the PSSRD. Further analysis indicated that whole-genome duplication and whole-genome triplication played a major role in the expansion of the Myb gene families. These SSR markers in our database will greatly facilitate comparative genomics and functional genomics studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Song
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 610054, Chengdu, China.
- Food Science and Technology Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
| | - Qihang Yang
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Yun Bai
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Ke Gong
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Tong Wu
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Tong Yu
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Qiaoying Pei
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Weike Duan
- College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 223003, Huai'an, China
| | - Zhinan Huang
- College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 223003, Huai'an, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wang
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Xi Kang
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- School of Life Sciences/Library, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, 063210, China.
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11
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Abbas F, Vinberg F. Transduction and Adaptation Mechanisms in the Cilium or Microvilli of Photoreceptors and Olfactory Receptors From Insects to Humans. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:662453. [PMID: 33867944 PMCID: PMC8046925 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.662453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensing changes in the environment is crucial for survival. Animals from invertebrates to vertebrates use both visual and olfactory stimuli to direct survival behaviors including identification of food sources, finding mates, and predator avoidance. In primary sensory neurons there are signal transduction mechanisms that convert chemical or light signals into an electrical response through ligand binding or photoactivation of a receptor, that can be propagated to the olfactory and visual centers of the brain to create a perception of the odor and visual landscapes surrounding us. The fundamental principles of olfactory and phototransduction pathways within vertebrates are somewhat analogous. Signal transduction in both systems takes place in the ciliary sub-compartments of the sensory cells and relies upon the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to close cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) cation channels in photoreceptors to produce a hyperpolarization of the cell, or in olfactory sensory neurons open CNG channels to produce a depolarization. However, while invertebrate phototransduction also involves GPCRs, invertebrate photoreceptors can be either ciliary and/or microvillar with hyperpolarizing and depolarizing responses to light, respectively. Moreover, olfactory transduction in invertebrates may be a mixture of metabotropic G protein and ionotropic signaling pathways. This review will highlight differences of the visual and olfactory transduction mechanisms between vertebrates and invertebrates, focusing on the implications to the gain of the transduction processes, and how they are modulated to allow detection of small changes in odor concentration and light intensity over a wide range of background stimulus levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Abbas
- Vinberg Lab, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, John A. Moran Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frans Vinberg
- Vinberg Lab, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, John A. Moran Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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12
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Light responses of mammalian cones. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1555-1568. [PMID: 33742309 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02551-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors provide the foundation of most of human visual experience, but because they are smaller and less numerous than rods in most mammalian retinas, much less is known about their physiology. We describe new techniques and approaches which are helping to provide a better understanding of cone function. We focus on several outstanding issues, including the identification of the features of the phototransduction cascade that are responsible for the more rapid kinetics and decreased sensitivity of the cone response, the roles of inner-segment voltage-gated and Ca2+-activated channels, the means by which cones remain responsive even in the brightest illumination, mechanisms of cone visual pigment regeneration in constant light, and energy consumption of cones in comparison to that of rods.
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13
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Dizhoor AM, Olshevskaya EV, Peshenko IV. Retinal degeneration-3 protein promotes photoreceptor survival by suppressing activation of guanylyl cyclase rather than accelerating GMP recycling. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100362. [PMID: 33539922 PMCID: PMC8047982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal degeneration-3 protein (RD3) deficiency causes photoreceptor dysfunction and rapid degeneration in the rd3 mouse strain and in human Leber's congenital amaurosis, a congenital retinal dystrophy that results in early vision loss. However, the mechanisms responsible for photoreceptor death remain unclear. Here, we tested two hypothesized biochemical events that may underlie photoreceptor death: (i) the failure to prevent aberrant activation of retinal guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) by calcium-sensor proteins (GCAPs) versus (ii) the reduction of GMP phosphorylation rate, preventing its recycling to GDP/GTP. We found that GMP converts to GDP/GTP in the photoreceptor fraction of the retina ∼24-fold faster in WT mice and ∼400-fold faster in rd3 mice than GTP conversion to cGMP by RetGC. Adding purified RD3 to the retinal extracts inhibited RetGC 4-fold but did not affect GMP phosphorylation in wildtype or rd3 retinas. RD3-deficient photoreceptors rapidly degenerated in rd3 mice that were reared in constant darkness to prevent light-activated GTP consumption via RetGC and phosphodiesterase 6. In contrast, rd3 degeneration was alleviated by deletion of GCAPs. After 2.5 months, only ∼40% of photoreceptors remained in rd3/rd3 retinas. Deletion of GCAP1 or GCAP2 alone preserved 68% and 57% of photoreceptors, respectively, whereas deletion of GCAP1 and GCAP2 together preserved 86%. Taken together, our in vitro and in vivo results support the hypothesis that RD3 prevents photoreceptor death primarily by suppressing activation of RetGC by both GCAP1 and GCAP2 but do not support the hypothesis that RD3 plays a significant role in GMP recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Dizhoor
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Igor V Peshenko
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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14
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Regulation of retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) by negative calcium feedback and RD3 protein. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1393-1410. [PMID: 33537894 PMCID: PMC8329130 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02523-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This article presents a brief overview of the main biochemical and cellular processes involved in regulation of cyclic GMP production in photoreceptors. The main focus is on how the fluctuations of free calcium concentrations in photoreceptors between light and dark regulate the activity of retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) via calcium sensor proteins. The emphasis of the review is on the structure of RetGC and guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs) in relation to their functional role in photoreceptors and congenital diseases of photoreceptors. In addition to that, the structure and function of retinal degeneration-3 protein (RD3), which regulates RetGC in a calcium-independent manner, is discussed in detail in connections with its role in photoreceptor biology and inherited retinal blindness.
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15
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Kolesnikov AV, Kiser PD, Palczewski K, Kefalov VJ. Function of mammalian M-cones depends on the level of CRALBP in Müller cells. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:211551. [PMID: 33216847 PMCID: PMC7685772 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012675] [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: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors mediate daytime vision in vertebrates. The rapid and efficient regeneration of their visual pigments following photoactivation is critical for the cones to remain photoresponsive in bright and rapidly changing light conditions. Cone pigment regeneration depends on the recycling of visual chromophore, which takes place via the canonical visual cycle in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the Müller cell-driven intraretinal visual cycle. The molecular mechanisms that enable the neural retina to regenerate visual chromophore for cones have not been fully elucidated. However, one known component of the two visual cycles is the cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), which is expressed both in the RPE and in Müller cells. To understand the significance of CRALBP in cone pigment regeneration, we examined the function of cones in mice heterozygous for Rlbp1, the gene encoding CRALBP. We found that CRALBP expression was reduced by ∼50% in both the RPE and retina of Rlbp1+/- mice. Electroretinography (ERG) showed that the dark adaptation of rods and cones is unaltered in Rlbp1+/- mice, indicating a normal RPE visual cycle. However, pharmacologic blockade of the RPE visual cycle revealed suppressed cone dark adaptation in Rlbp1+/- mice in comparison with controls. We conclude that the expression level of CRALPB specifically in the Müller cells modulates the efficiency of the retina visual cycle. Finally, blocking the RPE visual cycle also suppressed further cone dark adaptation in Rlbp1-/- mice, revealing a shunt in the classical RPE visual cycle that bypasses CRALBP and allows partial but unexpectedly rapid cone dark adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Center for Translation Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA.,Research Service, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Center for Translation Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA.,Department of Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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16
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Peshenko IV, Olshevskaya EV, Dizhoor AM. GUCY2D mutations in retinal guanylyl cyclase 1 provide biochemical reasons for dominant cone-rod dystrophy but not for stationary night blindness. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18301-18315. [PMID: 33109612 PMCID: PMC7939455 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the GUCY2D gene coding for the dimeric human retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) isozyme RetGC1 cause various forms of blindness, ranging from rod dysfunction to rod and cone degeneration. We tested how the mutations causing recessive congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), recessive Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA1), and dominant cone-rod dystrophy-6 (CORD6) affected RetGC1 activity and regulation by RetGC-activating proteins (GCAPs) and retinal degeneration-3 protein (RD3). CSNB mutations R666W, R761W, and L911F, as well as LCA1 mutations R768W and G982VfsX39, disabled RetGC1 activation by human GCAP1, -2, and -3. The R666W and R761W substitutions compromised binding of GCAP1 with RetGC1 in HEK293 cells. In contrast, G982VfsX39 and L911F RetGC1 retained the ability to bind GCAP1 in cyto but failed to effectively bind RD3. R768W RetGC1 did not bind either GCAP1 or RD3. The co-expression of GUCY2D allelic combinations linked to CSNB did not restore RetGC1 activity in vitro The CORD6 mutation R838S in the RetGC1 dimerization domain strongly dominated the Ca2+ sensitivity of cyclase regulation by GCAP1 in RetGC1 heterodimer produced by co-expression of WT and the R838S subunits. It required higher Ca2+ concentrations to decelerate GCAP-activated RetGC1 heterodimer-6-fold higher than WT and 2-fold higher than the Ser838-harboring homodimer. The heterodimer was also more resistant than homodimers to inhibition by RD3. The observed biochemical changes can explain the dominant CORD6 blindness and recessive LCA1 blindness, both of which affect rods and cones, but they cannot explain the selective loss of rod function in recessive CSNB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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17
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Reingruber J, Ingram NT, Griffis KG, Fain GL. A kinetic analysis of mouse rod and cone photoreceptor responses. J Physiol 2020; 598:3747-3763. [PMID: 32557629 PMCID: PMC7484371 DOI: 10.1113/jp279524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Most vertebrate eyes have rods for dim-light vision and cones for brighter light and higher temporal sensitivity. Rods evolved from cone-like precursors through expression of different transduction genes or the same genes at different expression levels, but we do not know which molecular differences were most important. We approached this problem by analysing rod and cone responses with the same model but with different values for model parameters. We showed that, in addition to outer-segment volume, the most important differences between rods and cones are: (1) decreased transduction gain, reflecting smaller amplification in the G-protein cascade; (2) a faster rate of turnover of the second messenger cGMP in darkness; and (3) an accelerated rate of decay of the effector enzyme phosphodiesterase and perhaps also of activated visual pigment. We believe our analysis has identified the principal alterations during evolution responsible for the duplex retina. ABSTRACT Most vertebrates have rod and cone photoreceptors, which differ in their sensitivity and response kinetics. We know that rods evolved from cone-like precursors through the expression of different transduction genes or the same genes at different levels, but we do not know which molecular differences were most important. We have approached this problem in mouse retina by analysing the kinetic differences between rod flash responses and recent voltage-clamp recordings of cone flash responses, using a model incorporating the principal features of photoreceptor transduction. We apply a novel method of analysis using the log-transform of the current, and we ask which of the model's dynamic parameters need be changed to transform the flash response of a rod into that of a cone. The most important changes are a decrease in the gain of the response, reflecting a reduction in amplification of the transduction cascade; an increase in the rate of turnover of cGMP in darkness; and an increase in the rate of decay of activated phosphodiesterase, with perhaps also an increase in the rate of decay of light-activated visual pigment. Although we cannot exclude other differences, and in particular alterations in the Ca2+ economy of the photoreceptors, we believe that we have identified the kinetic parameters principally responsible for the differences in the flash responses of the two kinds of photoreceptors, which were likely during evolution to have resulted in the duplex retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Reingruber
- Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Norianne T. Ingram
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095–7239, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095–7000, USA
| | - Khris G. Griffis
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095–7000, USA
| | - Gordon L. Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095–7239, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095–7000, USA
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18
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Peshenko IV, Dizhoor AM. Two clusters of surface-exposed amino acid residues enable high-affinity binding of retinal degeneration-3 (RD3) protein to retinal guanylyl cyclase. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10781-10793. [PMID: 32493772 PMCID: PMC7397094 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal degeneration-3 (RD3) protein protects photoreceptors from degeneration by preventing retinal guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) activation via calcium-sensing guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAP), and RD3 truncation causes severe congenital blindness in humans and other animals. The three-dimensional structure of RD3 has recently been established, but the molecular mechanisms of its inhibitory binding to RetGC remain unclear. Here, we report the results of probing 133 surface-exposed residues in RD3 by single substitutions and deletions to identify side chains that are critical for the inhibitory binding of RD3 to RetGC. We tested the effects of these substitutions and deletions in vitro by reconstituting purified RD3 variants with GCAP1-activated human RetGC1. Although the vast majority of the surface-exposed residues tolerated substitutions without loss of RD3's inhibitory activity, substitutions in two distinct narrow clusters located on the opposite sides of the molecule effectively suppressed RD3 binding to the cyclase. The first surface-exposed cluster included residues adjacent to Leu63 in the loop connecting helices 1 and 2. The second cluster surrounded Arg101 on a surface of helix 3. Single substitutions in those two clusters drastically, i.e. up to 245-fold, reduced the IC50 for the cyclase inhibition. Inactivation of the two binding sites completely disabled binding of RD3 to RetGC1 in living HEK293 cells. In contrast, deletion of 49 C-terminal residues did not affect the apparent affinity of RD3 for RetGC. Our findings identify the functional interface on RD3 required for its inhibitory binding to RetGC, a process essential for protecting photoreceptors from degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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19
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Regulatory mechanism for the transmembrane receptor that mediates bidirectional vitamin A transport. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:9857-9864. [PMID: 32300017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918540117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin A has diverse biological functions and is essential for human survival at every point from embryogenesis to adulthood. Vitamin A and its derivatives have been used to treat human diseases including vision diseases, skin diseases, and cancer. Both insufficient and excessive vitamin A uptake are detrimental, but how its transport is regulated is poorly understood. STRA6 is a multitransmembrane domain cell-surface receptor and mediates vitamin A uptake from plasma retinol binding protein (RBP). STRA6 can mediate both cellular vitamin A influx and efflux, but what regulates these opposing activities is unknown. To answer this question, we purified and identified STRA6-associated proteins in a native mammalian cell type that takes up vitamin A through STRA6 using mass spectrometry. We found that the major protein repeatedly identified as STRA6-associated protein is calmodulin, consistent with the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) study of zebrafish STRA6 associated with calmodulin. Using radioactivity-based, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based and real-time fluorescence techniques, we found that calmodulin profoundly affects STRA6's vitamin A transport activity. Increased calcium/calmodulin promotes cellular vitamin A efflux and suppresses vitamin A influx through STRA6. Further mechanistic studies revealed that calmodulin enhances the binding of apo-RBP to STRA6, and this enhancement is much more pronounced for apo-RBP than holo-RBP. This study revealed that calmodulin regulates STRA6's vitamin A influx or efflux activity by modulating its preferential interaction with apo-RBP or holo-RBP. This molecular mechanism of regulating vitamin A transport may point to new directions to treat human diseases associated with insufficient or excessive vitamin A uptake.
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20
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Fain GL. Lamprey vision: Photoreceptors and organization of the retina. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 106:5-11. [PMID: 31711759 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The lamprey is an important non-model vertebrate because it is an agnathan or jawless vertebrate and belongs to the superclass cyclostomata, a group that split off from the rest of the vertebrates 500 million years ago. Investigation of the lamprey retina may therefore reveal attributes of visual function that were characteristic of even the most primitive vertebrates. The rod and cone photoreceptors are a striking example, because the biochemistry and physiology of phototransduction is remarkably similar between lamprey and the rest of the vertebrates, including mammals. The fundamental mechanism of light sensation seems therefore to have emerged very early in the evolution of vertebrates in the late Cambrian. Some other characteristics of the retina are also similar and may be very old, but other features such as the morphology of ganglion cells are rather different in lamprey and other vertebrates. Even these differences may provide new insight into the various mechanisms vertebrates use for visual detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon L Fain
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095-7000, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095-7000,United States.
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21
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Ingram NT, Sampath AP, Fain GL. Voltage-clamp recordings of light responses from wild-type and mutant mouse cone photoreceptors. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:1287-1299. [PMID: 31562185 PMCID: PMC6829558 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe the first extensive study of voltage-clamp current responses of cone photoreceptors in unlabeled, dark-adapted mouse retina using only the position and appearance of cone somata as a guide. Identification was confirmed from morphology after dye filling. Photocurrents recorded from wild-type mouse cones were biphasic with a fast cone component and a slower rod component. The rod component could be eliminated with dim background light and was not present in mouse lines lacking the rod transducin-α subunit (Gnat1-/- ) or connexin 36 (Cx36-/- ). Cones from Gnat1-/- or Cx36-/- mice had resting membrane potentials between -45 and -55 mV, peak photocurrents of 20-25 picoamps (pA) at a membrane potential Vm = -50 mV, sensitivities 60-70 times smaller than rods, and a total membrane capacitance two to four times greater than rods. The rate of activation (amplification constant) was largely independent of the brightness of the flash and was 1-2 s-2, less than half that of rods. The role of Ca2+-dependent transduction modulation was investigated by recording from cones in mice lacking rod transducin (Gnat1), recoverin, and/or the guanylyl-cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs). In confirmation of previous results, responses of Gnat1-/- ;Gcaps-/- cones and triple-mutant Gnat1-/- ;Gcaps-/- ;Rv-/- cones recovered more slowly both to light flashes and steps and were more sensitive than cones expressing the GCAPs. Cones from all four mouse lines showed significant recovery and escaped saturation even in bright background light. This recovery occurred too rapidly to be caused by pigment bleaching or metaII decay and appears to reflect some modulation of response inactivation in addition to those produced by recoverin and the GCAPs. Our experiments now make possible a more detailed understanding of the cellular physiology of mammalian cone photoreceptors and the role of conductances in the inner and outer segment in producing cone light responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norianne T Ingram
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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22
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Hutto RA, Bisbach CM, Abbas F, Brock DC, Cleghorn WM, Parker ED, Bauer BH, Ge W, Vinberg F, Hurley JB, Brockerhoff SE. Increasing Ca 2+ in photoreceptor mitochondria alters metabolites, accelerates photoresponse recovery, and reveals adaptations to mitochondrial stress. Cell Death Differ 2019; 27:1067-1085. [PMID: 31371786 PMCID: PMC7206026 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0398-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptors are specialized neurons that rely on Ca2+ to regulate phototransduction and neurotransmission. Photoreceptor dysfunction and degeneration occur when intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis is disrupted. Ca2+ homeostasis is maintained partly by mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake through the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), which can influence cytosolic Ca2+ signals, stimulate energy production, and trigger apoptosis. Here we discovered that zebrafish cone photoreceptors express unusually low levels of MCU. We expected that this would be important to prevent mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and consequent cone degeneration. To test this hypothesis, we generated a cone-specific model of MCU overexpression. Surprisingly, we found that cones tolerate MCU overexpression, surviving elevated mitochondrial Ca2+ and disruptions to mitochondrial ultrastructure until late adulthood. We exploited the survival of MCU overexpressing cones to additionally demonstrate that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake alters the distributions of citric acid cycle intermediates and accelerates recovery kinetics of the cone response to light. Cones adapt to mitochondrial Ca2+ stress by decreasing MICU3, an enhancer of MCU-mediated Ca2+ uptake, and selectively transporting damaged mitochondria away from the ellipsoid toward the synapse. Our findings demonstrate how mitochondrial Ca2+ can influence physiological and metabolic processes in cones and highlight the remarkable ability of cone photoreceptors to adapt to mitochondrial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Hutto
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Celia M Bisbach
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Fatima Abbas
- John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Daniel C Brock
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Whitney M Cleghorn
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Edward D Parker
- Opthalmology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Benjamin H Bauer
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - William Ge
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Frans Vinberg
- John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - James B Hurley
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.,Opthalmology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Susan E Brockerhoff
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA. .,Opthalmology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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23
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Dizhoor AM, Olshevskaya EV, Peshenko IV. Retinal guanylyl cyclase activation by calcium sensor proteins mediates photoreceptor degeneration in an rd3 mouse model of congenital human blindness. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:13729-13739. [PMID: 31346032 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficiency of RD3 (retinal degeneration 3) protein causes recessive blindness and photoreceptor degeneration in humans and in the rd3 mouse strain, but the disease mechanism is unclear. Here, we present evidence that RD3 protects photoreceptors from degeneration by competing with guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs), which are calcium sensor proteins for retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC). RetGC activity in rd3/rd3 retinas was drastically reduced but stimulated by the endogenous GCAPs at low Ca2+ concentrations. RetGC activity completely failed to accelerate in rd3/rd3GCAPs -/- hybrid photoreceptors, whose photoresponses remained drastically suppressed compared with the WT. However, ∼70% of the hybrid rd3/rd3GCAPs -/- photoreceptors survived past 6 months, in stark contrast to <5% in the nonhybrid rd3/rd3 retinas. GFP-tagged human RD3 inhibited GCAP-dependent activation of RetGC in vitro similarly to the untagged RD3. When transgenically expressed in rd3/rd3 mouse retinas under control of the rhodopsin promoter, the RD3GFP construct increased RetGC levels to near normal levels, restored dark-adapted photoresponses, and rescued rods from degeneration. The fluorescence of RD3GFP in rd3/rd3RD3GFP + retinas was mostly restricted to the rod photoreceptor inner segments, whereas GCAP1 immunofluorescence was concentrated predominantly in the outer segment. However, RD3GFP became distributed to the outer segments when bred into a GCAPs -/- genetic background. These results support the hypothesis that an essential biological function of RD3 is competition with GCAPs that inhibits premature cyclase activation in the inner segment. Our findings also indicate that the fast rate of degeneration in RD3-deficient photoreceptors results from the lack of this inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Dizhoor
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Igor V Peshenko
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
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Incorporating phototransduction proteins in zebrafish green cone with pressure-polished patch pipettes. Biophys Chem 2019; 253:106230. [PMID: 31352142 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2019.106230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The neuronal Ca2+-sensor guanylate cyclase-activating protein 3 (zGCAP3) is a major regulator of guanylate cyclase (GC) activity expressed in zebrafish cone cells. Here, the zGCAP3, or a monoclonal antibody directed against zGCAP3, was injected in the cone cytoplasm by employing the pressure-polished pipette technique. This technique allows to perform "real time" zGCAP3 (or of any other phototransduction protein) over-expression or knock-down, respectively, via the patch pipette. Photoresponses were not affected by purified zGCAP3, indicating that GC was already saturated with endogenous zGCAP3. The cytosolic injection of anti-zGCAP3 produced the slowing down kinetics of the flash response recovery, as theoretically expected by a minimal phototransduction model considering the antibody acting exclusively on the maximal GC activation by low Ca2+. However, the antibody produced a progressive current decay toward the zero level, as if the antibody affected also the basal GC activity in the dark.
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Peshenko IV, Cideciyan AV, Sumaroka A, Olshevskaya EV, Scholten A, Abbas S, Koch KW, Jacobson SG, Dizhoor AM. A G86R mutation in the calcium-sensor protein GCAP1 alters regulation of retinal guanylyl cyclase and causes dominant cone-rod degeneration. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:3476-3488. [PMID: 30622141 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The guanylyl cyclase-activating protein, GCAP1, activates photoreceptor membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) in the light, when free Ca2+ concentrations decline, and decelerates the cyclase in the dark, when Ca2+ concentrations rise. Here, we report a novel mutation, G86R, in the GCAP1 (GUCA1A) gene in a family with a dominant retinopathy. The G86R substitution in a "hinge" region connecting EF-hand domains 2 and 3 in GCAP1 strongly interfered with its Ca2+-dependent activator-to-inhibitor conformational transition. The G86R-GCAP1 variant activated RetGC at low Ca2+ concentrations with higher affinity than did the WT GCAP1, but failed to decelerate the cyclase at the Ca2+ concentrations characteristic of dark-adapted photoreceptors. Ca2+-dependent increase in Trp94 fluorescence, indicative of the GCAP1 transition to its RetGC inhibiting state, was suppressed and shifted to a higher Ca2+ range. Conformational changes in G86R GCAP1 detectable by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) also became less sensitive to Ca2+, and the dose dependence of the G86R GCAP1-RetGC1 complex inhibition by retinal degeneration 3 (RD3) protein was shifted toward higher than normal concentrations. Our results indicate that the flexibility of the hinge region between EF-hands 2 and 3 is required for placing GCAP1-regulated Ca2+ sensitivity of the cyclase within the physiological range of intracellular Ca2+ at the expense of reducing GCAP1 affinity for the target enzyme. The disease-linked mutation of the hinge Gly86, leading to abnormally high affinity for the target enzyme and reduced Ca2+ sensitivity of GCAP1, is predicted to abnormally elevate cGMP production and Ca2+ influx in photoreceptors in the dark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Alexander Sumaroka
- the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Alexander Scholten
- the Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg D-26129, Germany
| | - Seher Abbas
- the Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg D-26129, Germany
| | - Karl-Wilhelm Koch
- the Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg D-26129, Germany
| | - Samuel G Jacobson
- the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027,
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Zang J, Neuhauss SCF. The Binding Properties and Physiological Functions of Recoverin. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:473. [PMID: 30618620 PMCID: PMC6306944 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recoverin (Rcv) is a low molecular-weight, neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) primarily located in photoreceptor outer segments of the vertebrate retina. Calcium ions (Ca2+)-bound Rcv has been proposed to inhibit G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRKs) in darkness. During the light response, the Ca2+-free Rcv releases GRK, which in turn phosphorylates visual pigment, ultimately leading to the cessation of the visual transduction cascade. Technological advances over the last decade have contributed significantly to a deeper understanding of Rcv function. These include both biophysical and biochemical approaches that will be discussed in this review article. Furthermore, electrophysiological experiments uncovered additional functions of Rcv, such as regulation of the lifetime of Phosphodiesterase-Transducin complex. Recently, attention has been drawn to different roles in rod and cone photoreceptors.This review article focuses on Rcv binding properties to Ca2+, disc membrane and GRK, and its physiological functions in phototransduction and signal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zang
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Vinberg F, Kefalov VJ. Investigating the Ca 2+-dependent and Ca 2+-independent mechanisms for mammalian cone light adaptation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15864. [PMID: 30367097 PMCID: PMC6203770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34073-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Vision is mediated by two types of photoreceptors: rods, enabling vision in dim light; and cones, which function in bright light. Despite many similarities in the components of their respective phototransduction cascades, rods and cones have distinct sensitivity, response kinetics, and adaptation capacity. Cones are less sensitive and have faster responses than rods. In addition, cones can function over a wide range of light conditions whereas rods saturate in moderately bright light. Calcium plays an important role in regulating phototransduction and light adaptation of rods and cones. Notably, the two dominant Ca2+-feedbacks in rods and cones are driven by the identical calcium-binding proteins: guanylyl cyclase activating proteins 1 and 2 (GCAPs), which upregulate the production of cGMP; and recoverin, which regulates the inactivation of visual pigment. Thus, the mechanisms producing the difference in adaptation capacity between rods and cones have remained poorly understood. Using GCAPs/recoverin-deficient mice, we show that mammalian cones possess another Ca2+-dependent mechanism promoting light adaptation. Surprisingly, we also find that, unlike in mouse rods, a unique Ca2+-independent mechanism contributes to cone light adaptation. Our findings point to two novel adaptation mechanisms in mouse cones that likely contribute to the great adaptation capacity of cones over rods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. .,John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Vinberg F, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. Regulation of calcium homeostasis in the outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 67:87-101. [PMID: 29883715 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Calcium plays important roles in the function and survival of rod and cone photoreceptor cells. Rapid regulation of calcium in the outer segments of photoreceptors is required for the modulation of phototransduction that drives the termination of the flash response as well as light adaptation in rods and cones. On a slower time scale, maintaining proper calcium homeostasis is critical for the health and survival of photoreceptors. Decades of work have established that the level of calcium in the outer segments of rods and cones is regulated by a dynamic equilibrium between influx via the transduction cGMP-gated channels and extrusion via rod- and cone-specific Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchangers (NCKXs). It had been widely accepted that the only mechanism for extrusion of calcium from rod outer segments is via the rod-specific NCKX1, while extrusion from cone outer segments is driven exclusively by the cone-specific NCKX2. However, recent evidence from mice lacking NCKX1 and NCKX2 have challenged that notion and have revealed a more complex picture, including a NCKX-independent mechanism in rods and two separate NCKX-dependent mechanisms in cones. This review will focus on recent findings on the molecular mechanisms of extrusion of calcium from the outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptors, and the functional and structural changes in photoreceptors when normal extrusion is disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
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Vinberg F, Peshenko IV, Chen J, Dizhoor AM, Kefalov VJ. Guanylate cyclase-activating protein 2 contributes to phototransduction and light adaptation in mouse cone photoreceptors. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:7457-7465. [PMID: 29549122 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Light adaptation of photoreceptor cells is mediated by Ca2+-dependent mechanisms. In darkness, Ca2+ influx through cGMP-gated channels into the outer segment of photoreceptors is balanced by Ca2+ extrusion via Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchangers (NCKXs). Light activates a G protein signaling cascade, which closes cGMP-gated channels and decreases Ca2+ levels in photoreceptor outer segment because of continuing Ca2+ extrusion by NCKXs. Guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) then up-regulate cGMP synthesis by activating retinal membrane guanylate cyclases (RetGCs) in low Ca2+ This activation of RetGC accelerates photoresponse recovery and critically contributes to light adaptation of the nighttime rod and daytime cone photoreceptors. In mouse rod photoreceptors, GCAP1 and GCAP2 both contribute to the Ca2+-feedback mechanism. In contrast, only GCAP1 appears to modulate RetGC activity in mouse cones because evidence of GCAP2 expression in cones is lacking. Surprisingly, we found that GCAP2 is expressed in cones and can regulate light sensitivity and response kinetics as well as light adaptation of GCAP1-deficient mouse cones. Furthermore, we show that GCAP2 promotes cGMP synthesis and cGMP-gated channel opening in mouse cones exposed to low Ca2+ Our biochemical model and experiments indicate that GCAP2 significantly contributes to the activation of RetGC1 at low Ca2+ when GCAP1 is not present. Of note, in WT mouse cones, GCAP1 dominates the regulation of cGMP synthesis. We conclude that, under normal physiological conditions, GCAP1 dominates the regulation of cGMP synthesis in mouse cones, but if its function becomes compromised, GCAP2 contributes to the regulation of phototransduction and light adaptation of cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Igor V Peshenko
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
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30
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De Wit P, Durland E, Ventura A, Langdon CJ. Gene expression correlated with delay in shell formation in larval Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) exposed to experimental ocean acidification provides insights into shell formation mechanisms. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:160. [PMID: 29471790 PMCID: PMC5824581 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4519-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite recent work to characterize gene expression changes associated with larval development in oysters, the mechanism by which the larval shell is first formed is still largely unknown. In Crassostrea gigas, this shell forms within the first 24 h post fertilization, and it has been demonstrated that changes in water chemistry can cause delays in shell formation, shell deformations and higher mortality rates. In this study, we use the delay in shell formation associated with exposure to CO2-acidified seawater to identify genes correlated with initial shell deposition. Results By fitting linear models to gene expression data in ambient and low aragonite saturation treatments, we are able to isolate 37 annotated genes correlated with initial larval shell formation, which can be categorized into 1) ion transporters, 2) shell matrix proteins and 3) protease inhibitors. Clustering of the gene expression data into co-expression networks further supports the result of the linear models, and also implies an important role of dynein motor proteins as transporters of cellular components during the initial shell formation process. Conclusions Using an RNA-Seq approach with high temporal resolution allows us to identify a conceptual model for how oyster larval calcification is initiated. This work provides a foundation for further studies on how genetic variation in these identified genes could affect fitness of oyster populations subjected to future environmental changes, such as ocean acidification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4519-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre De Wit
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, Sweden.
| | - Evan Durland
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - Alexander Ventura
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Chris J Langdon
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, USA
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Morshedian A, Fain GL. The evolution of rod photoreceptors. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0074. [PMID: 28193819 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptors in animals are generally of two kinds: the ciliary or c-type and the rhabdomeric or r-type. Although ciliary photoreceptors are found in many phyla, vertebrates seem to be unique in having two distinct kinds which together span the entire range of vision, from single photons to bright light. We ask why the principal photoreceptors of vertebrates are ciliary and not rhabdomeric, and how rods evolved from less sensitive cone-like photoreceptors to produce our duplex retina. We suggest that the principal advantage of vertebrate ciliary receptors is that they use less ATP than rhabdomeric photoreceptors. This difference may have provided sufficient selection pressure for the development of a completely ciliary eye. Although many of the details of rod evolution are still uncertain, present evidence indicates that (i) rods evolved very early before the split between the jawed and jawless vertebrates, (ii) outer-segment discs make no contribution to rod sensitivity but may have evolved to increase the efficiency of protein renewal, and (iii) evolution of the rod was incremental and multifaceted, produced by the formation of several novel protein isoforms and by changes in protein expression, with no one alteration having more than a few-fold effect on transduction activation or inactivation.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala Morshedian
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA .,Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7000, USA
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Vinberg F, Wang T, De Maria A, Zhao H, Bassnett S, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. The Na +/Ca 2+, K + exchanger NCKX4 is required for efficient cone-mediated vision. eLife 2017; 6:e24550. [PMID: 28650316 PMCID: PMC5515578 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) plays an important role in the function and health of neurons. In vertebrate cone photoreceptors, Ca2+ controls photoresponse sensitivity, kinetics, and light adaptation. Despite the critical role of Ca2+ in supporting the function and survival of cones, the mechanism for its extrusion from cone outer segments is not well understood. Here, we show that the Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchanger NCKX4 is expressed in zebrafish, mouse, and primate cones. Functional analysis of NCKX4-deficient mouse cones revealed that this exchanger is essential for the wide operating range and high temporal resolution of cone-mediated vision. We show that NCKX4 shapes the cone photoresponse together with the cone-specific NCKX2: NCKX4 acts early to limit response amplitude, while NCKX2 acts late to further accelerate response recovery. The regulation of Ca2+ by NCKX4 in cones is a novel mechanism that supports their ability to function as daytime photoreceptors and promotes their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Tian Wang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Alicia De Maria
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Haiqing Zhao
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| | - Steven Bassnett
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
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Morshedian A, Fain GL. Light adaptation and the evolution of vertebrate photoreceptors. J Physiol 2017; 595:4947-4960. [PMID: 28488783 DOI: 10.1113/jp274211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Lamprey are cyclostomes, a group of vertebrates that diverged from lines leading to jawed vertebrates (including mammals) in the late Cambrian, 500 million years ago. It may therefore be possible to infer properties of photoreceptors in early vertebrate progenitors by comparing lamprey to other vertebrates. We show that lamprey rods and cones respond to light much like rods and cones in amphibians and mammals. They operate over a similar range of light intensities and adapt to backgrounds and bleaches nearly identically. These correspondences are pervasive and detailed; they argue for the presence of rods and cones very early in the evolution of vertebrates with properties much like those of rods and cones in existing vertebrate species. ABSTRACT The earliest vertebrates were agnathans - fish-like organisms without jaws, which first appeared near the end of the Cambrian radiation. One group of agnathans became cyclostomes, which include lamprey and hagfish. Other agnathans gave rise to jawed vertebrates or gnathostomes, the group including all other existing vertebrate species. Because cyclostomes diverged from other vertebrates 500 million years ago, it may be possible to infer some of the properties of the retina of early vertebrate progenitors by comparing lamprey to other vertebrates. We have previously shown that rods and cones in lamprey respond to light much like photoreceptors in other vertebrates and have a similar sensitivity. We now show that these affinities are even closer. Both rods and cones adapt to background light and to bleaches in a manner almost identical to other vertebrate photoreceptors. The operating range in darkness is nearly the same in lamprey and in amphibian or mammalian rods and cones; moreover background light shifts response-intensity curves downward and to the right over a similar range of ambient intensities. Rods show increment saturation at about the same intensity as mammalian rods, and cones never saturate. Bleaches decrease sensitivity in part by loss of quantum catch and in part by opsin activation of transduction. These correspondences are so numerous and pervasive that they are unlikely to result from convergent evolution but argue instead that early vertebrate progenitors of both cyclostomes and mammals had photoreceptors much like our own.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala Morshedian
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA.,Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7000, USA
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Rosenberg Y, Doniger T, Harii S, Sinniger F, Levy O. Canonical and cellular pathways timing gamete release in Acropora digitifera, Okinawa, Japan. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2698-2710. [PMID: 28214372 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Natural light cycles are important for synchronizing behavioural and physiological rhythms over varying time periods in both plants and animals. An endogenous clock, regulated by positive and negative elements, interacting in feedback loops controls these rhythms. Many corals exhibit diel cycles of polyp expansion and contraction entrained by solar light patterns and monthly cycles of spawning or planulation that correspond to nocturnal lunar light cycles. However, despite considerable interest in studies of coral reproduction, there is currently not enough molecular information about the cellular pathways involved with synchronizing spawning/planulation in broadcast spawners and brooders. To determine whether the endogenous clock is implicated in the regulation of reproductive behaviour in corals, we characterized the transcriptome of Acropora digitifera colonies at twelve time points over a 2-month period of full and new moons, starting with the day of spawning in June 2014. We identified 608 transcripts with differential expression only on the spawning night during the coral setting phase and gamete release. Our data revealed an upregulation of light-sensing molecules and rhodopsin-like receptors that initiate signalling cascades, including the glutamate, SMAD signalling and WNT signalling pathways, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions and calcium signalling. These are all involved in cell cycling, cell movement, tissue polarity, focal adhesion and cytoskeleton reorganization and together lead to gamete release. These findings can improve the understanding of many time-based cycles and extend our knowledge of the interplay between exogenous signals and the endogenous clock in cnidarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Rosenberg
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
| | - T Doniger
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
| | - S Harii
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa, 905-0227, Japan
| | - F Sinniger
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa, 905-0227, Japan
| | - O Levy
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel
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Dizhoor AM, Olshevskaya EV, Peshenko IV. The R838S Mutation in Retinal Guanylyl Cyclase 1 (RetGC1) Alters Calcium Sensitivity of cGMP Synthesis in the Retina and Causes Blindness in Transgenic Mice. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:24504-24516. [PMID: 27703005 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.755553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Substitutions of Arg838 in the dimerization domain of a human retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1) linked to autosomal dominant cone-rod degeneration type 6 (CORD6) change RetGC1 regulation in vitro by Ca2+ In addition, we find that R838S substitution makes RetGC1 less sensitive to inhibition by retinal degeneration-3 protein (RD3). We selectively expressed human R838S RetGC1 in mouse rods and documented the decline in rod vision and rod survival. To verify that changes in rods were specifically caused by the CORD6 mutation, we used for comparison cones, which in the same mice did not express R838S RetGC1 from the transgenic construct. The R838S RetGC1 expression in rod outer segments reduced inhibition of cGMP production in the transgenic mouse retinas at the free calcium concentrations typical for dark-adapted rods. The transgenic mice demonstrated early-onset and rapidly progressed with age decline in visual responses from the targeted rods, in contrast to the longer lasting preservation of function in the non-targeted cones. The decline in rod function in the retina resulted from a progressive degeneration of rods between 1 and 6 months of age, with the severity and pace of the degeneration consistent with the extent to which the Ca2+ sensitivity of the retinal cGMP production was affected. Our study presents a new experimental model for exploring cellular mechanisms of the CORD6-related photoreceptor death. This mouse model provides the first direct biochemical and physiological in vivo evidence for the Arg838 substitutions in RetGC1 being the culprit behind the pathogenesis of the CORD6 congenital blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Dizhoor
- From the Department of Research, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027.
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- From the Department of Research, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Igor V Peshenko
- From the Department of Research, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
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Sakurai K, Vinberg F, Wang T, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. The Na(+)/Ca(2+), K(+) exchanger 2 modulates mammalian cone phototransduction. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32521. [PMID: 27580676 PMCID: PMC5007492 DOI: 10.1038/srep32521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium ions (Ca2+) modulate the phototransduction cascade of vertebrate cone photoreceptors to tune gain, inactivation, and light adaptation. In darkness, the continuous current entering the cone outer segment through cGMP-gated (CNG) channels is carried in part by Ca2+, which is then extruded back to the extracellular space. The mechanism of Ca2+ extrusion from mammalian cones is not understood. The dominant view has been that the cone-specific isoform of the Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchanger, NCKX2, is responsible for removing Ca2+ from their outer segments. However, indirect evaluation of cone function in NCKX2-deficient (Nckx2−/−) mice by electroretinogram recordings revealed normal photopic b-wave responses. This unexpected result suggested that NCKX2 may not be involved in the Ca2+ homeostasis of mammalian cones. To address this controversy, we examined the expression of NCKX2 in mouse cones and performed transretinal recordings from Nckx2−/− mice to determine the effect of NCKX2 deletion on cone function directly. We found that Nckx2−/− cones exhibit compromised phototransduction inactivation, slower response recovery and delayed background adaptation. We conclude that NCKX2 is required for the maintenance of efficient Ca2+ extrusion from mouse cones. However, surprisingly, Nckx2−/− cones adapted normally in steady background light, indicating the existence of additional Ca2+-extruding mechanisms in mammalian cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Sakurai
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Frans Vinberg
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tian Wang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Cell and Neurobiology &Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Cell and Neurobiology &Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Peshenko IV, Olshevskaya EV, Dizhoor AM. Functional Study and Mapping Sites for Interaction with the Target Enzyme in Retinal Degeneration 3 (RD3) Protein. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19713-23. [PMID: 27471269 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.742288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal degeneration 3 (RD3) protein, essential for normal expression of retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) in photoreceptor cells, blocks RetGC catalytic activity and stimulation by guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs). In a mouse retina, RD3 inhibited both RetGC1 and RetGC2 isozymes. Photoreceptors in the rd3/rd3 mouse retinas lacking functional RD3 degenerated more severely than in the retinas lacking both RetGC isozymes, consistent with a hypothesis that the inhibitory activity of RD3 has a functional role in photoreceptors. To map the potential target-binding site(s) on RD3, short evolutionary conserved regions of its primary structure were scrambled and the mutations were tested for the RD3 ability to inhibit RetGC1 and co-localize with the cyclase in co-transfected cells. Substitutions in 4 out of 22 tested regions, (87)KIHP(90), (93)CGPAI(97), (99)RFRQ(102), and (119)RSVL(122), reduced the RD3 apparent affinity for the cyclase 180-700-fold. Changes of amino acid sequences outside the Lys(87)-Leu(122) central portion of the molecule either failed to prevent RD3 binding to the cyclase or had a much smaller effect. Mutations in the (93)CGPAI(97) portion of a predicted central α-helix most drastically suppressed the inhibitory activity of RD3 and disrupted RD3 co-localization with RetGC1 in HEK293 cells. Different side chains replacing Cys(93) profoundly reduced RD3 affinity for the cyclase, irrespective of their relative helix propensities. We conclude that the main RetGC-binding interface on RD3 required for the negative regulation of the cyclase localizes to the Lys(87)-Leu(122) region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- From the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
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Ingram NT, Sampath AP, Fain GL. Why are rods more sensitive than cones? J Physiol 2016; 594:5415-26. [PMID: 27218707 DOI: 10.1113/jp272556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
One hundred and fifty years ago Max Schultze first proposed the duplex theory of vision, that vertebrate eyes have two types of photoreceptor cells with differing sensitivity: rods for dim light and cones for bright light and colour detection. We now know that this division is fundamental not only to the photoreceptors themselves but to the whole of retinal and visual processing. But why are rods more sensitive, and how did the duplex retina first evolve? Cells resembling cones are very old, first appearing among cnidarians; the emergence of rods was a key step in the evolution of the vertebrate eye. Many transduction proteins have different isoforms in rods and cones, and others are expressed at different levels. Moreover rods and cones have a different anatomy, with only rods containing membranous discs enclosed by the plasma membrane. These differences must be responsible for the difference in absolute sensitivity, but which are essential? Recent research particularly expressing cone proteins in rods or changing the level of expression seem to show that many of the molecular differences in the activation and decay of the response may have each made a small contribution as evolution proceeded stepwise with incremental increases in sensitivity. Rod outer-segment discs were not essential and developed after single-photon detection. These experiments collectively provide a new understanding of the two kinds of photoreceptors and help to explain how gene duplication and the formation of rod-specific proteins produced the duplex retina, which has remained remarkably constant in physiology from amphibians to man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norianne T Ingram
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7000, USA
| | - Gordon L Fain
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA. .,Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7000, USA.
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Berkowitz BA, Lewin AS, Biswal MR, Bredell BX, Davis C, Roberts R. MRI of Retinal Free Radical Production With Laminar Resolution In Vivo. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2016; 57:577-85. [PMID: 26886890 PMCID: PMC4771178 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-18972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Recent studies have suggested the hypothesis that quench-assisted 1/T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures free radical production with laminar resolution in vivo without the need of a contrast agent. Here, we test this hypothesis further by examining the spatial and detection sensitivity of quench-assisted 1/T1 MRI to strain, age, or retinal cell layer-specific genetic manipulations. Methods We studied: adult wild-type mice; mice at postnatal day 7 (P7); cre dependent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-specific MnSOD knockout mice; doxycycline-treated Sod2flox/flox mice lacking the cre transgene; and α-transducin knockout (Gnat1−/−) mice on a C57Bl/6 background. Transretinal 1/T1 profiles were mapped in vivo in the dark without or with antioxidant treatment, or followed by light exposure. We calibrated profiles spatially using optical coherence tomography. Results Dark-adapted RPE-specific MnSOD knockout mice had greater than normal 1/T1 in the RPE and outer nuclear layers that was corrected to wild-type levels by antioxidant treatment. Dark and light Gnat1−/− mice also had greater than normal outer retinal 1/T1 values. In adult wild-type mice, dark values of 1/T1 in the ellipsoid region and in the outer segment were suppressed by 13 minutes of light. By 29 minutes of light, 1/T1 reduction extended to the outer nuclear layer. Gnat1−/− mice demonstrated a faster light-evoked suppression of 1/T1 values in the outer retina. In P7 mice, transretinal 1/T1 profiles were the same in dark and light. Conclusions Quench-assisted MRI has the laminar resolution and detection sensitivity to evaluate normal and pathologic production of free radicals in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Berkowitz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Alfred S Lewin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Manas R Biswal
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Bryce X Bredell
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Christopher Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Robin Roberts
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
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Abstract
cGMP controls many cellular functions ranging from growth, viability, and differentiation to contractility, secretion, and ion transport. The mammalian genome encodes seven transmembrane guanylyl cyclases (GCs), GC-A to GC-G, which mainly modulate submembrane cGMP microdomains. These GCs share a unique topology comprising an extracellular domain, a short transmembrane region, and an intracellular COOH-terminal catalytic (cGMP synthesizing) region. GC-A mediates the endocrine effects of atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides regulating arterial blood pressure/volume and energy balance. GC-B is activated by C-type natriuretic peptide, stimulating endochondral ossification in autocrine way. GC-C mediates the paracrine effects of guanylins on intestinal ion transport and epithelial turnover. GC-E and GC-F are expressed in photoreceptor cells of the retina, and their activation by intracellular Ca(2+)-regulated proteins is essential for vision. Finally, in the rodent system two olfactorial GCs, GC-D and GC-G, are activated by low concentrations of CO2and by peptidergic (guanylins) and nonpeptidergic odorants as well as by coolness, which has implications for social behaviors. In the past years advances in human and mouse genetics as well as the development of sensitive biosensors monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of cGMP in living cells have provided novel relevant information about this receptor family. This increased our understanding of the mechanisms of signal transduction, regulation, and (dys)function of the membrane GCs, clarified their relevance for genetic and acquired diseases and, importantly, has revealed novel targets for therapies. The present review aims to illustrate these different features of membrane GCs and the main open questions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Kuhn
- Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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42
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Zang J, Keim J, Kastenhuber E, Gesemann M, Neuhauss SCF. Recoverin depletion accelerates cone photoresponse recovery. Open Biol 2016; 5:rsob.150086. [PMID: 26246494 PMCID: PMC4554923 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.150086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuronal Ca2+-binding protein Recoverin has been shown to regulate phototransduction termination in mammalian rods. Here we identify four recoverin genes in the zebrafish genome, rcv1a, rcv1b, rcv2a and rcv2b, and investigate their role in modulating the cone phototransduction cascade. While Recoverin-1b is only found in the adult retina, the other Recoverins are expressed throughout development in all four cone types, except Recoverin-1a, which is expressed only in rods and UV cones. Applying a double flash electroretinogram (ERG) paradigm, downregulation of Recoverin-2a or 2b accelerates cone photoresponse recovery, albeit at different light intensities. Exclusive recording from UV cones via spectral ERG reveals that knockdown of Recoverin-1a alone has no effect, but Recoverin-1a/2a double-knockdowns showed an even shorter recovery time than Recoverin-2a-deficient larvae. We also showed that UV cone photoresponse kinetics depend on Recoverin-2a function via cone-specific kinase Grk7a. This is the first in vivo study demonstrating that cone opsin deactivation kinetics determine overall photoresponse shut off kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zang
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center Zurich and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keim
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center Zurich and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Edda Kastenhuber
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center Zurich and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Gesemann
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center Zurich and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Stephan C F Neuhauss
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center Zurich and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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Aquila M, Benedusi M, Fasoli A, Rispoli G. Characterization of Zebrafish Green Cone Photoresponse Recorded with Pressure-Polished Patch Pipettes, Yielding Efficient Intracellular Dialysis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141727. [PMID: 26513584 PMCID: PMC4626105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The phototransduction enzymatic cascade in cones is less understood than in rods, and the zebrafish is an ideal model with which to investigate vertebrate and human vision. Therefore, here, for the first time, the zebrafish green cone photoresponse is characterized also to obtain a firm basis for evaluating how it is modulated by exogenous molecules. To this aim, a powerful method was developed to obtain long-lasting recordings with low access resistance, employing pressure-polished patch pipettes. This method also enabled fast, efficient delivery of molecules via a perfusion system coupled with pulled quartz or plastic perfusion tubes, inserted very close to the enlarged pipette tip. Sub-saturating flashes elicited responses in different cells with similar rising phase kinetics but with very different recovery kinetics, suggesting the existence of physiologically distinct cones having different Ca2+ dynamics. Theoretical considerations demonstrate that the different recovery kinetics can be modelled by simulating changes in the Ca2+-buffering capacity of the outer segment. Importantly, the Ca2+-buffer action preserves the fast response rising phase, when the Ca2+-dependent negative feedback is activated by the light-induced decline in intracellular Ca2+.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Aquila
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mascia Benedusi
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Anna Fasoli
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giorgio Rispoli
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Exchange of Cone for Rod Phosphodiesterase 6 Catalytic Subunits in Rod Photoreceptors Mimics in Part Features of Light Adaptation. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9225-35. [PMID: 26085644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3563-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Despite the expression of homologous phototransduction components, the molecular basis for differences in light-evoked responses between rod and cone photoreceptors remains unclear. We examined the role of cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE6) in this difference by expressing cone PDE6 (PDE6C) in rd1/rd1 rods lacking rod PDE6 (PDE6AB) using transgenic mice. The expression of PDE6C rescues retinal degeneration observed in rd1/rd1 rods. Double-transgenic rods (PDE6C++) were compared with rd1/+ rods based on similar PDE6 expression. PDE6C increased the basal PDE activity and speeded the rate-limiting step for phototransduction deactivation, causing rod photoresponses to appear light adapted, with reduced dark current and sensitivity and faster response kinetics. When PDE6C++ and rd1/+ rods were exposed to similar background light, rd1/+ rods displayed greater desensitization. These results indicate an increased spontaneous activity and faster deactivation of PDE6C compared with PDE6AB in darkness, but that background light increases steady PDE6C activity to a lesser extent. In addition to accelerating the recovery of the photoresponse, faster PDE6C deactivation may blunt the rise in background-induced steady PDE6C activity. Therefore, higher basal PDE6C activity and faster deactivation together partially account for faster and less sensitive cone photoresponses in darkness, whereas a reduced rise of steady PDE6C activity in background light may allow cones to avoid saturation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cones are the primary photoreceptors responsible for most of our visual experience. Cone light responses are less sensitive and display speeded responses compared with rods. Despite the fact that rods and cones use a G-protein signaling cascade with similar organization, the mechanistic basis for these differences remains unclear. Here, we examined the role of distinct isoforms of PDE6, the effector enzyme in phototransduction, in these differences. We developed a transgenic mouse model that expresses cone PDE6 in rods and show that the cone PDE6 isoform is partially responsible for the difference in sensitivity and response kinetics between rods and cones.
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Purgert RJ, Lukasiewicz PD. Differential encoding of spatial information among retinal on cone bipolar cells. J Neurophysiol 2015. [PMID: 26203104 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00287.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina is the first stage of visual processing. It encodes elemental features of visual scenes. Distinct cone bipolar cells provide the substrate for this to occur. They encode visual information, such as color and luminance, a principle known as parallel processing. Few studies have directly examined whether different forms of spatial information are processed in parallel among cone bipolar cells. To address this issue, we examined the spatial information encoded by mouse ON cone bipolar cells, the subpopulation excited by increments in illumination. Two types of spatial processing were identified. We found that ON cone bipolar cells with axons ramifying in the central inner plexiform layer were tuned to preferentially encode small stimuli. By contrast, ON cone bipolar cells with axons ramifying in the proximal inner plexiform layer, nearest the ganglion cell layer, were tuned to encode both small and large stimuli. This dichotomy in spatial tuning is attributable to amacrine cells providing stronger inhibition to central ON cone bipolar cells compared with proximal ON cone bipolar cells. Furthermore, background illumination altered this difference in spatial tuning. It became less pronounced in bright light, as amacrine cell-driven inhibition became pervasive among all ON cone bipolar cells. These results suggest that differential amacrine cell input determined the distinct spatial encoding properties among ON cone bipolar cells. These findings enhance the known parallel processing capacity of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Purgert
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and
| | - Peter D Lukasiewicz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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46
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Peshenko IV, Olshevskaya EV, Dizhoor AM. Dimerization Domain of Retinal Membrane Guanylyl Cyclase 1 (RetGC1) Is an Essential Part of Guanylyl Cyclase-activating Protein (GCAP) Binding Interface. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:19584-96. [PMID: 26100624 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.661371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The photoreceptor-specific proteins guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) bind and regulate retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1) but not natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA). Study of RetGC1 regulation in vitro and its association with fluorescently tagged GCAP in transfected cells showed that R822P substitution in the cyclase dimerization domain causing congenital early onset blindness disrupted RetGC1 ability to bind GCAP but did not eliminate its affinity for another photoreceptor-specific protein, retinal degeneration 3 (RD3). Likewise, the presence of the NPRA dimerization domain in RetGC1/NPRA chimera specifically disabled binding of GCAPs but not of RD3. In subsequent mapping using hybrid dimerization domains in RetGC1/NPRA chimera, multiple RetGC1-specific residues contributed to GCAP binding by the cyclase, but the region around Met(823) was the most crucial. Either positively or negatively charged residues in that position completely blocked GCAP1 and GCAP2 but not RD3 binding similarly to the disease-causing mutation in the neighboring Arg(822). The specificity of GCAP binding imparted by RetGC1 dimerization domain was not directly related to promoting dimerization of the cyclase. The probability of coiled coil dimer formation computed for RetGC1/NPRA chimeras, even those incapable of binding GCAP, remained high, and functional complementation tests showed that the RetGC1 active site, which requires dimerization of the cyclase, was formed even when Met(823) or Arg(822) was mutated. These results directly demonstrate that the interface for GCAP binding on RetGC1 requires not only the kinase homology region but also directly involves the dimerization domain and especially its portion containing Arg(822) and Met(823).
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
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47
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Peshenko IV, Olshevskaya EV, Dizhoor AM. Evaluating the role of retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1) domains in binding guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs). J Biol Chem 2015; 290:6913-24. [PMID: 25616661 PMCID: PMC4358116 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.629642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1) regulated by guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) controls photoreceptor recovery and when mutated causes blinding disorders. We evaluated the principal models of how GCAP1 and GCAP2 bind RetGC1: through a shared docking interface versus independent binding sites formed by distant portions of the cyclase intracellular domain. At near-saturating concentrations, GCAP1 and GCAP2 activated RetGC1 from HEK293 cells and RetGC2(-/-)GCAPs1,2(-/-) mouse retinas in a non-additive fashion. The M26R GCAP1, which binds but does not activate RetGC1, suppressed activation of recombinant and native RetGC1 by competing with both GCAP1 and GCAP2. Untagged GCAP1 displaced both GCAP1-GFP and GCAP2-GFP from the complex with RetGC1 in HEK293 cells. The intracellular segment of a natriuretic peptide receptor A guanylyl cyclase failed to bind GCAPs, but replacing its kinase homology and dimerization domains with those from RetGC1 restored GCAP1 and GCAP2 binding by the hybrid cyclase and its GCAP-dependent regulation. Deletion of the Tyr(1016)-Ser(1103) fragment in RetGC1 did not block GCAP2 binding to the cyclase. In contrast, substitutions in the kinase homology domain, W708R and I734T, linked to Leber congenital amaurosis prevented binding of both GCAP1-GFP and GCAP2-GFP. Our results demonstrate that GCAPs cannot regulate RetGC1 using independent primary binding sites. Instead, GCAP1 and GCAP2 bind with the cyclase molecule in a mutually exclusive manner using a common or overlapping binding site(s) in the Arg(488)-Arg(851) portion of RetGC1, and mutations in that region causing Leber congenital amaurosis blindness disrupt activation of the cyclase by both GCAP1 and GCAP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Peshenko
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Elena V Olshevskaya
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- From the Department of Research, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
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48
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Sakurai K, Chen J, Khani SC, Kefalov VJ. Regulation of mammalian cone phototransduction by recoverin and rhodopsin kinase. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:9239-50. [PMID: 25673692 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.639591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors function under daylight conditions and are essential for color perception and vision with high temporal and spatial resolution. A remarkable feature of cones is that, unlike rods, they remain responsive in bright light. In rods, light triggers a decline in intracellular calcium, which exerts a well studied negative feedback on phototransduction that includes calcium-dependent inhibition of rhodopsin kinase (GRK1) by recoverin. Rods and cones share the same isoforms of recoverin and GRK1, and photoactivation also triggers a calcium decline in cones. However, the molecular mechanisms by which calcium exerts negative feedback on cone phototransduction through recoverin and GRK1 are not well understood. Here, we examined this question using mice expressing various levels of GRK1 or lacking recoverin. We show that although GRK1 is required for the timely inactivation of mouse cone photoresponse, gradually increasing its expression progressively delays the cone response recovery. This surprising result is in contrast with the known effect of increasing GRK1 expression in rods. Notably, the kinetics of cone responses converge and become independent of GRK1 levels for flashes activating more than ∼1% of cone pigment. Thus, mouse cone response recovery in bright light is independent of pigment phosphorylation and likely reflects the spontaneous decay of photoactivated visual pigment. We also find that recoverin potentiates the sensitivity of cones in dim light conditions but does not contribute to their capacity to function in bright light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Sakurai
- From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Jeannie Chen
- the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Cell and Neurobiology & Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, and
| | - Shahrokh C Khani
- the Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110,
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49
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Ex vivo ERG analysis of photoreceptors using an in vivo ERG system. Vision Res 2014; 101:108-17. [PMID: 24959652 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The Function of the retina and effects of drugs on it can be assessed by recording transretinal voltage across isolated retina that is perfused with physiological medium. However, building ex vivo ERG apparatus requires substantial amount of time, resources and expertise. Here we adapted a commercial in vivo ERG system for transretinal ERG recordings from rod and cone photoreceptors and compared rod and cone signaling between ex vivo and in vivo environments. We found that the rod and cone a- and b-waves recorded with the transretinal ERG adapter and a standard in vivo ERG system are comparable to those obtained from live anesthetized animals. However, ex vivo responses are somewhat slower and their oscillatory potentials are suppressed as compared to those recorded in vivo. We found that rod amplification constant (A) was comparable between ex vivo and in vivo conditions, ∼10-30s(-2) depending on the choice of response normalization. We estimate that the A in cones is between 3 and 6s(-2) in ex vivo conditions and by assuming equal A in vivo we arrive to light funnelling factor of 3 for cones in the mouse retina. The ex vivo ERG adapter provides a simple and affordable alternative to designing a custom-built transretinal recordings setup for the study of photoreceptors. Our results provide a roadmap to the rigorous quantitative analysis of rod and cone responses made possible with such a system.
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Wen XH, Dizhoor AM, Makino CL. Membrane guanylyl cyclase complexes shape the photoresponses of retinal rods and cones. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:45. [PMID: 24917784 PMCID: PMC4040495 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrate rods and cones, photon capture by rhodopsin leads to the destruction of cyclic GMP (cGMP) and the subsequent closure of cyclic nucleotide gated ion channels in the outer segment plasma membrane. Replenishment of cGMP and reopening of the channels limit the growth of the photon response and are requisite for its recovery. In different vertebrate retinas, there may be as many as four types of membrane guanylyl cyclases (GCs) for cGMP synthesis. Ten neuronal Ca2+ sensor proteins could potentially modulate their activities. The mouse is proving to be an effective model for characterizing the roles of individual components because its relative simplicity can be reduced further by genetic engineering. There are two types of GC activating proteins (GCAPs) and two types of GCs in mouse rods, whereas cones express one type of GCAP and one type of GC. Mutant mouse rods and cones bereft of both GCAPs have large, long lasting photon responses. Thus, GCAPs normally mediate negative feedback tied to the light-induced decline in intracellular Ca2+ that accelerates GC activity to curtail the growth and duration of the photon response. Rods from other mutant mice that express a single GCAP type reveal how the two GCAPs normally work together as a team. Because of its lower Ca2+ affinity, GCAP1 is the first responder that senses the initial decrease in Ca2+ following photon absorption and acts to limit response amplitude. GCAP2, with a higher Ca2+ affinity, is recruited later during the course of the photon response as Ca2+ levels continue to decline further. The main role of GCAP2 is to provide for a timely response recovery and it is particularly important after exposure to very bright light. The multiplicity of GC isozymes and GCAP homologs in the retinas of other vertebrates confers greater flexibility in shaping the photon responses in order to tune visual sensitivity, dynamic range and frequency response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hong Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander M Dizhoor
- Department of Basic Sciences Research and Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus University Elkins Park, PA, USA
| | - Clint L Makino
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
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