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Bassetto M, Kolesnikov AV, Lewandowski D, Kiser JZ, Halabi M, Einstein DE, Choi EH, Palczewski K, Kefalov VJ, Kiser PD. Dominant role for pigment epithelial CRALBP in supplying visual chromophore to photoreceptors. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114143. [PMID: 38676924 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) supports production of 11-cis-retinaldehyde and its delivery to photoreceptors. It is found in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Müller glia (MG), but the relative functional importance of these two cellular pools is debated. Here, we report RPE- and MG-specific CRALBP knockout (KO) mice and examine their photoreceptor and visual cycle function. Bulk visual chromophore regeneration in RPE-KO mice is 15-fold slower than in controls, accounting for their delayed rod dark adaptation and protection against retinal phototoxicity, whereas MG-KO mice have normal bulk visual chromophore regeneration and retinal light damage susceptibility. Cone pigment regeneration is significantly impaired in RPE-KO mice but mildly affected in MG-KO mice, disclosing an unexpectedly strong reliance of cone photoreceptors on the RPE-based visual cycle. These data reveal a dominant role for RPE-CRALBP in supporting rod and cone function and highlight the importance of RPE cell targeting for CRALBP gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bassetto
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Research Service, Tibor Rubin VA Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dominik Lewandowski
- Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jianying Z Kiser
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Maximilian Halabi
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - David E Einstein
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Research Service, Tibor Rubin VA Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA
| | - Elliot H Choi
- Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Research Service, Tibor Rubin VA Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Rose K, Chen N, Andreev A, Chen J, Kefalov VJ, Chen J. Light regulation of rhodopsin distribution during outer segment renewal in murine rod photoreceptors. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1492-1505.e6. [PMID: 38508186 PMCID: PMC11003846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Vision under dim light relies on primary cilia elaborated by rod photoreceptors in the retina. This specialized sensory structure, called the rod outer segment (ROS), comprises hundreds of stacked, membranous discs containing the light-sensitive protein rhodopsin, and the incorporation of new discs into the ROS is essential for maintaining the rod's health and function. ROS renewal appears to be primarily regulated by extrinsic factors (light); however, results vary depending on different model organisms. We generated two independent transgenic mouse lines where rhodopsin's fate is tracked by a fluorescently labeled rhodopsin fusion protein (Rho-Timer) and show that rhodopsin incorporation into nascent ROS discs appears to be regulated by both external lighting cues and autonomous retinal clocks. Live-cell imaging of the ROS isolated from mice exposed to six unique lighting conditions demonstrates that ROS formation occurs in a periodic manner in cyclic light, constant darkness, and artificial light/dark cycles. This alternating bright/weak banding of Rho-Timer along the length of the ROS relates to inhomogeneities in rhodopsin density and potential points of structural weakness. In addition, we reveal that prolonged dim ambient light exposure impacts not only the rhodopsin content of new discs but also that of older discs, suggesting a dynamic interchange of material between new and old discs. Furthermore, we show that rhodopsin incorporation into the ROS is greatly altered in two autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa mouse models, potentially contributing to the pathogenesis. Our findings provide insights into how extrinsic (light) and intrinsic (retinal clocks and genetic mutation) factors dynamically regulate mammalian ROS renewal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey Rose
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Natalie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Andrey Andreev
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jiayan Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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3
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Kolesnikov AV, Murphy DP, Corbo JC, Kefalov VJ. Germline knockout of Nr2e3 protects photoreceptors in three distinct mouse models of retinal degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316118121. [PMID: 38442152 PMCID: PMC10945761 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316118121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a common form of retinal dystrophy that can be caused by mutations in any one of dozens of rod photoreceptor genes. The genetic heterogeneity of RP represents a significant challenge for the development of effective therapies. Here, we present evidence for a potential gene-independent therapeutic strategy based on targeting Nr2e3, a transcription factor required for the normal differentiation of rod photoreceptors. Nr2e3 knockout results in hybrid rod photoreceptors that express the full complement of rod genes, but also a subset of cone genes. We show that germline deletion of Nr2e3 potently protects rods in three mechanistically diverse mouse models of retinal degeneration caused by bright-light exposure (light damage), structural deficiency (rhodopsin-deficient Rho-/- mice), or abnormal phototransduction (phosphodiesterase-deficient rd10 mice). Nr2e3 knockout confers strong neuroprotective effects on rods without adverse effects on their gene expression, structure, or function. Furthermore, in all three degeneration models, prolongation of rod survival by Nr2e3 knockout leads to lasting preservation of cone morphology and function. These findings raise the possibility that upregulation of one or more cone genes in Nr2e3-deficient rods may be responsible for the neuroprotective effects we observe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Daniel P. Murphy
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Joseph C. Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
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Avilés EC, Wang SK, Patel S, Shi S, Lin L, Kefalov VJ, Goodrich LV, Cepko CL, Xue Y. High temporal frequency light response in mouse retina is mediated by ON and OFF bipolar cells and requires FAT3 signaling. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.02.565326. [PMID: 37961274 PMCID: PMC10635074 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Vision is initiated by the reception of light by photoreceptors and subsequent processing via parallel retinal circuits. Proper circuit organization depends on the multi-functional tissue polarity protein FAT3, which is required for amacrine cell connectivity and retinal lamination. Here we investigated the retinal function of Fat3 mutant mice and found decreases in physiological and perceptual responses to high frequency flashes. These defects did not correlate with abnormal amacrine cell wiring, pointing instead to a role in bipolar cell subtypes that also express FAT3. Indeed, similar deficits were observed in mice lacking the bipolar cell glutamate receptors GRIK1 (OFF-bipolar cells) and GRM6 (ON-bipolar cells). Mechanistically, FAT3 binds to the synaptic protein PTPσ and is required to localize GRIK1 to OFF-cone bipolar cell synapses with cone photoreceptors. How FAT3 impacts ON-cone bipolar cell function at high temporal frequency remains to be uncovered. These findings expand the repertoire of FAT3's functions and reveal the importance of both ON- and OFF-bipolar cells for high frequency light response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C. Avilés
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Present address: Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Pontificia Universidad Catolica deChile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sean K. Wang
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Sarina Patel
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shuxiang Shi
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China, 200031
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China, 201210
| | - Lucas Lin
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute & Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Lisa V. Goodrich
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Constance L. Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Yunlu Xue
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China, 200031
- Lead contact
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5
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Tworak A, Kolesnikov AV, Hong JD, Choi EH, Luu JC, Palczewska G, Dong Z, Lewandowski D, Brooks MJ, Campello L, Swaroop A, Kiser PD, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. Rapid RGR-dependent visual pigment recycling is mediated by the RPE and specialized Müller glia. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112982. [PMID: 37585292 PMCID: PMC10530494 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In daylight, demand for visual chromophore (11-cis-retinal) exceeds supply by the classical visual cycle. This shortfall is compensated, in part, by the retinal G-protein-coupled receptor (RGR) photoisomerase, which is expressed in both the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and in Müller cells. The relative contributions of these two cellular pools of RGR to the maintenance of photoreceptor light responses are not known. Here, we use a cell-specific gene reactivation approach to elucidate the kinetics of RGR-mediated recovery of photoreceptor responses following light exposure. Electroretinographic measurements in mice with RGR expression limited to either cell type reveal that the RPE and a specialized subset of Müller glia contribute both to scotopic and photopic function. We demonstrate that 11-cis-retinal formed through photoisomerization is rapidly hydrolyzed, consistent with its role in a rapid visual pigment regeneration process. Our study shows that RGR provides a pan-retinal sink for all-trans-retinal released under sustained light conditions and supports rapid chromophore regeneration through the photic visual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Tworak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - John D Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Elliot H Choi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jennings C Luu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Grazyna Palczewska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Polgenix, Inc., Department of Medical Devices, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhiqian Dong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dominik Lewandowski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Matthew J Brooks
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Laura Campello
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anand Swaroop
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Research Service, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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6
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Moakedi F, Aljammal R, Poria D, Saravanan T, Rhodes SB, Reid C, Guan T, Kefalov VJ, Ramamurthy V. Prenylation is essential for the enrichment of cone phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) in outer segments and efficient cone phototransduction. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2735-2750. [PMID: 37384398 PMCID: PMC10460490 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) is the key phototransduction effector enzyme residing in the outer segment (OS) of photoreceptors. Cone PDE6 is a tetrameric protein consisting of two inhibitory subunits (γ') and two catalytic subunits (α'). The catalytic subunit of cone PDE6 contains a C-terminus prenylation motif. Deletion of PDE6α' C-terminal prenylation motif is linked to achromatopsia (ACHM), a type of color blindness in humans. However, mechanisms behind the disease and roles for lipidation of cone PDE6 in vision are unknown. In this study, we generated two knock-in mouse models expressing mutant variants of cone PDE6α' lacking the prenylation motif (PDE6α'∆C). We find that the C-terminal prenylation motif is the primary determinant for the association of cone PDE6 protein with membranes. Cones from PDE6α'∆C homozygous mice are less sensitive to light, and their response to light is delayed, whereas cone function in heterozygous PDE6α'∆C/+ mice is unaffected. Surprisingly, the expression level and assembly of cone PDE6 protein were unaltered in the absence of prenylation. Unprenylated assembled cone PDE6 in PDE6α'∆C homozygous animals is mislocalized and enriched in the cone inner segment and synaptic terminal. Interestingly, the disk density and the overall length of cone OS in PDE6α'∆C homozygous mutants are altered, highlighting a novel structural role for PDE6 in maintaining cone OS length and morphology. The survival of cones in the ACHM model generated in this study bodes well for gene therapy as a treatment option for restoring vision in patients with similar mutations in the PDE6C gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Moakedi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Rawaa Aljammal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Deepak Poria
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Thamaraiselvi Saravanan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Scott B Rhodes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Chyanne Reid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Tongju Guan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Visvanathan Ramamurthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
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Xue Y, Sun X, Wang SK, Collin GB, Kefalov VJ, Cepko CL. Chromophore supply modulates cone function and survival in retinitis pigmentosa mouse models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2217885120. [PMID: 37252956 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2217885120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an ocular disease characterized by the loss of night vision, followed by the loss of daylight vision. Daylight vision is initiated in the retina by cone photoreceptors, which are gradually lost in RP, often as bystanders in a disease process that initiates in their neighboring rod photoreceptors. Using physiological assays, we investigated the timing of cone electroretinogram (ERG) decline in RP mouse models. A correlation between the time of loss of the cone ERG and the loss of rods was found. To investigate a potential role of the visual chromophore supply in this loss, mouse mutants with alterations in the regeneration of the retinal chromophore, 11-cis retinal, were examined. Reducing chromophore supply via mutations in Rlbp1 or Rpe65 resulted in greater cone function and survival in a RP mouse model. Conversely, overexpression of Rpe65 and Lrat, genes that can drive the regeneration of the chromophore, led to greater cone degeneration. These data suggest that abnormally high chromophore supply to cones upon the loss of rods is toxic to cones, and that a potential therapy in at least some forms of RP is to slow the turnover and/or reduce the level of visual chromophore in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Xue
- Lingang Laboratory, 200031, Shanghai, China
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | | | - Sean K Wang
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- HHMI, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- HHMI, Boston, MA 02115
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8
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Poria D, Kolesnikov AV, Lee TJ, Salom D, Palczewski K, Kefalov VJ. Investigating the Role of Rhodopsin F45L Mutation in Mouse Rod Photoreceptor Signaling and Survival. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0330-22.2023. [PMID: 36823167 PMCID: PMC9997694 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0330-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin is the critical receptor molecule which enables vertebrate rod photoreceptor cells to detect a single photon of light and initiate a cascade of molecular events leading to visual perception. Recently, it has been suggested that the F45L mutation in the transmembrane helix of rhodopsin disrupts its dimerization in vitro To determine whether this mutation of rhodopsin affects its signaling properties in vivo, we generated knock-in mice expressing the rhodopsin F45L mutant. We then examined the function of rods in the mutant mice versus wild-type controls, using in vivo electroretinography and transretinal and single cell suction recordings, combined with morphologic analysis and spectrophotometry. Although we did not evaluate the effect of the F45L mutation on the state of dimerization of the rhodopsin in vivo, our results revealed that F45L-mutant mice exhibit normal retinal morphology, normal rod responses as measured both in vivo and ex vivo, and normal rod dark adaptation. We conclude that the F45L mutation does not affect the signaling properties of rhodopsin in its natural setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Poria
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Tae Jun Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110
| | - David Salom
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
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9
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Kolesnikov AV, Lobysheva E, Gnana-Prakasam JP, Kefalov VJ, Kisselev OG. Regulation of rod photoreceptor function by farnesylated G-protein γ-subunits. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272506. [PMID: 35939447 PMCID: PMC9359561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-protein transducin, Gt, is a key signal transducer and amplifier in retinal rod and cone photoreceptor cells. Despite similar subunit composition, close amino acid identity, and identical posttranslational farnesylation of their Gγ subunits, rods and cones rely on unique Gγ1 (Gngt1) and Gγc (Gngt2) isoforms, respectively. The only other farnesylated G-protein γ-subunit, Gγ11 (Gng11), is expressed in multiple tissues but not retina. To determine whether Gγ1 regulates uniquely rod phototransduction, we generated transgenic rods expressing Gγ1, Gγc, or Gγ11 in Gγ1-deficient mice and analyzed their properties. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting demonstrated the robust expression of each transgenic Gγ in rod cells and restoration of Gαt1 expression, which is greatly reduced in Gγ1-deficient rods. Electroretinography showed restoration of visual function in all three transgenic Gγ1-deficient lines. Recordings from individual transgenic rods showed that photosensitivity impaired in Gγ1-deficient rods was also fully restored. In all dark-adapted transgenic lines, Gαt1 was targeted to the outer segments, reversing its diffuse localization found in Gγ1-deficient rods. Bright illumination triggered Gαt1 translocation from the rod outer to inner segments in all three transgenic strains. However, Gαt1 translocation in Gγ11 transgenic mice occurred at significantly dimmer background light. Consistent with this, transretinal ERG recordings revealed gradual response recovery in moderate background illumination in Gγ11 transgenic mice but not in Gγ1 controls. Thus, while farnesylated Gγ subunits are functionally active and largely interchangeable in supporting rod phototransduction, replacement of retina-specific Gγ isoforms by the ubiquitous Gγ11 affects the ability of rods to adapt to background light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Elena Lobysheva
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jaya P. Gnana-Prakasam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Oleg G. Kisselev
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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10
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Kolesnikov AV, Luu J, Jin H, Palczewski K, Kefalov VJ. Deletion of Protein Phosphatase 2A Accelerates Retinal Degeneration in GRK1- and Arr1-Deficient Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:18. [PMID: 35861670 PMCID: PMC9315073 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.8.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Light detection in retinal rod photoreceptors is initiated by activation of the visual pigment rhodopsin. A critical, yet often-overlooked, step enabling efficient perception of light is rhodopsin dephosphorylation mediated by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). PP2A deficiency has been reported to impair rhodopsin regeneration after phosphorylation by G protein receptor kinase 1 (GRK1) and binding of arrestin (Arr1), thereby delaying rod dark adaptation. However, its effects on the viability of photoreceptors in the absence of GRK1 and Arr1 remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of PP2A deficiency in the absence of GRK1 or Arr1, both of which have been implicated in Oguchi disease, a form of night blindness. Methods Rod-specific mice lacking the predominant catalytic Cα-subunit of PP2A were crossed with the Grk1−/− or Arr1−/− strains to obtain double knockout lines. Rod photoreceptor viability was analyzed in histological cross-sections of the retina stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and rod function was evaluated by ex vivo electroretinography. Results PP2A deficiency alone did not impair photoreceptor viability up to 12 months of age. Retinal degeneration was more pronounced in rods lacking GRK1 compared to rods lacking Arr1, and degeneration was accelerated in both Grk1−/− or Arr1−/− strains where PP2A was also deleted. In Arr1−/− mice, rod maximal photoresponse amplitudes were reduced by 80% at 3 months, and this diminution was enhanced further with concomitant PP2A deficiency. Conclusions These results suggest that although PP2A is not required for the survival of rods, its deletion accelerates the degeneration induced by the absence of either GRK1 or Arr1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Jennings Luu
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Hui Jin
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California, United States
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11
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Widjaja-Adhi MAK, Kolesnikov AV, Vasudevan S, Park PSH, Kefalov VJ, Golczak M. Acyl-CoA:wax alcohol acyltransferase 2 modulates the cone visual cycle in mouse retina. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22390. [PMID: 35665537 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101855rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The daylight and color vision of diurnal vertebrates depends on cone photoreceptors. The capability of cones to operate and respond to changes in light brightness even under high illumination is attributed to their fast rate of recovery to the ground photosensitive state. This process requires the rapid replenishing of photoisomerized visual chromophore (11-cis-retinal) to regenerate cone visual pigments. Recently, several gene candidates have been proposed to contribute to the cone-specific retinoid metabolism, including acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase 2 (AWAT2, aka MFAT). Here, we evaluated the role of AWAT2 in the regeneration of visual chromophore by the phenotypic characterization of Awat2-/- mice. The global absence of AWAT2 enzymatic activity did not affect gross retinal morphology or the rate of visual chromophore regeneration by the canonical RPE65-dependent visual cycle. Analysis of Awat2 expression indicated the presence of the enzyme throughout the murine retina, including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Müller cells. Electrophysiological recordings revealed reduced maximal rod and cone dark-adapted responses in AWAT2-deficient mice compared to control mice. While rod dark adaptation was not affected by the lack of AWAT2, M-cone dark adaptation both in isolated retina and in vivo was significantly suppressed. Altogether, these results indicate that while AWAT2 is not required for the normal operation of the canonical visual cycle, it is a functional component of the cone-specific visual chromophore regenerative pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Sreelakshmi Vasudevan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Paul S-H Park
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Marcin Golczak
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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12
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Inamdar SM, Lankford CK, Poria D, Laird JG, Solessio E, Kefalov VJ, Baker SA. Differential impact of Kv8.2 loss on rod and cone signaling and degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:1035-1050. [PMID: 34652420 PMCID: PMC8976434 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heteromeric Kv2.1/Kv8.2 channels are voltage-gated potassium channels localized to the photoreceptor inner segment. They carry IKx, which is largely responsible for setting the photoreceptor resting membrane potential. Mutations in Kv8.2 result in childhood-onset cone dystrophy with supernormal rod response (CDSRR). We generated a Kv8.2 knockout (KO) mouse and examined retinal signaling and photoreceptor degeneration to gain deeper insight into the complex phenotypes of this disease. Using electroretinograms, we show that there were delayed or reduced signaling from rods depending on the intensity of the light stimulus, consistent with reduced capacity for light-evoked changes in membrane potential. The delayed response was not seen ex vivo where extracellular potassium levels were controlled by the perfusion buffer, so we propose the in vivo alteration is influenced by genotype-associated ionic imbalance. We observed mild retinal degeneration. Signaling from cones was reduced but there was no loss of cone density. Loss of Kv8.2 altered responses to flickering light with responses attenuated at high frequencies and altered in shape at low frequencies. The Kv8.2 KO line on an all-cone retina background had reduced cone-driven ERG b wave amplitudes and underwent degeneration. Altogether, we provide insight into how a deficit in the dark current affects the health and function of photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivangi M Inamdar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52252, USA
| | - Colten K Lankford
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52252, USA
| | - Deepak Poria
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Joseph G Laird
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52252, USA
| | - Eduardo Solessio
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Center for Vision Research, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sheila A Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52252, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52252, USA
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13
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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14
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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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15
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Laradji A, Karakocak BB, Kolesnikov AV, Kefalov VJ, Ravi N. Hyaluronic Acid-Based Gold Nanoparticles for the Topical Delivery of Therapeutics to the Retina and the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13193324. [PMID: 34641139 PMCID: PMC8512139 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ocular immune privilege is a phenomenon brought about by anatomical and physiological barriers to shield the eye from immune and inflammation responses. While this phenomenon is beneficial for eyes protection, it is, at the same time, a hindrance for drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye to treat retinal diseases. Some ocular barriers can be bypassed by intravitreal injections, but these are associated with several side effects and patient noncompliance, especially when frequent injections are required. As an alternative, applying drugs as an eye drop is preferred due to the safety and ease. This study investigated the possible use of topically-applied hyaluronic acid-coated gold nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles to the back of the eye. The coated gold nanoparticles were topically applied to mouse eyes, and results were compared to topically applied uncoated gold nanoparticles and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution. Retina sections from these mice were then analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All characterization techniques used in this study suggest that hyaluronic acid-coated gold nanoparticles have higher distribution in the posterior segment of the eye than uncoated gold nanoparticles. Electroretinogram (ERG) analysis revealed that the visual function of mice receiving the coated gold nanoparticles was not affected, and these nanoparticles can, therefore, be applied safely. Together, our results suggest that hyaluronic acid-coated gold nanoparticles constitute potential drug delivery vehicles to the retina when applied noninvasively as an eye drop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Laradji
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (A.L.); (B.B.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63106, USA
| | - Bedia B. Karakocak
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (A.L.); (B.B.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63106, USA
| | - Alexander V. Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.V.K.); (V.J.K.)
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.V.K.); (V.J.K.)
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Nathan Ravi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; (A.L.); (B.B.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63106, USA
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Correspondence:
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16
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Laradji AM, Kolesnikov AV, Karakoçak BB, Kefalov VJ, Ravi N. Redox-Responsive Hyaluronic Acid-Based Nanogels for the Topical Delivery of the Visual Chromophore to Retinal Photoreceptors. ACS Omega 2021; 6:6172-6184. [PMID: 33718708 PMCID: PMC7948240 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Delivering therapeutics to the posterior segment of the eye is challenging due to various anatomical and physical barriers. While significant improvements have been realized by introducing direct injections to diseased sites, these approaches come with potential side effects that can range from simple inflammation to severe retinal damage. The topical instillation of drugs remains a safer and preferred alternative for patients' compliance. Here, we report the synthesis of penetratin-complexed, redox-responsive hyaluronic acid-based nanogels for the triggered release and delivery of therapeutics to the posterior part of the eye via topical application. The synthesized nanogels were shown to release their load only when exposed to a reducing environment, similar to the cytoplasm. As a model drug, visual chromophore analog, 9-cis-retinal, was loaded into nanogels and efficiently delivered to the mouse retina's photoreceptors when applied topically. Electroretinogram measurements showed a partial recovery of photoreceptor function in all treated eyes versus untreated controls. To the best of our knowledge, this report constitutes the first attempt to use a topically applied triggered-release drug delivery system to target the pigmented layer of the retina, in addition to the first attempt to deliver the visual chromophore topically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine M. Laradji
- Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, United States
| | - Alexander V. Kolesnikov
- Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Bedia B. Karakoçak
- Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, United States
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Nathan Ravi
- Department
of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, United States
- Department
of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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17
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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18
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Bisbach CM, Hutto RA, Poria D, Cleghorn WM, Abbas F, Vinberg F, Kefalov VJ, Hurley JB, Brockerhoff SE. Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter (MCU) deficiency reveals an alternate path for Ca 2+ uptake in photoreceptor mitochondria. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16041. [PMID: 32994451 PMCID: PMC7525533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72708-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rods and cones use intracellular Ca2+ to regulate many functions, including phototransduction and neurotransmission. The Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter (MCU) complex is thought to be the primary pathway for Ca2+ entry into mitochondria in eukaryotes. We investigate the hypothesis that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake via MCU influences phototransduction and energy metabolism in photoreceptors using a mcu-/- zebrafish and a rod photoreceptor-specific Mcu-/- mouse. Using genetically encoded Ca2+ sensors to directly examine Ca2+ uptake in zebrafish cone mitochondria, we found that loss of MCU reduces but does not eliminate mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Loss of MCU does not lead to photoreceptor degeneration, mildly affects mitochondrial metabolism, and does not alter physiological responses to light, even in the absence of the Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchanger. Our results reveal that MCU is dispensable for vertebrate photoreceptor function, consistent with its low expression and the presence of an alternative pathway for Ca2+ uptake into photoreceptor mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia M Bisbach
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel A Hutto
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deepak Poria
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Fatima Abbas
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - James B Hurley
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Ophthalmology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan E Brockerhoff
- Biochemistry Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Ophthalmology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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19
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Xue Y, Razafsky D, Hodzic D, Kefalov VJ. Mislocalization of cone nuclei impairs cone function in mice. FASEB J 2020; 34:10242-10249. [PMID: 32539195 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000568r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The nuclei of cone photoreceptors are located on the apical side of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) in vertebrate retinas. However, the functional role of this evolutionarily conserved localization of cone nuclei is unknown. We previously showed that Linkers of the Nucleoskeleton to the Cytoskeleton (LINC complexes) are essential for the apical migration of cone nuclei during development. Here, we developed an efficient genetic strategy to disrupt cone LINC complexes in mice. Experiments with animals from both sexes revealed that disrupting cone LINC complexes resulted in mislocalization of cone nuclei to the basal side of ONL in mouse retina. This, in turn, disrupted cone pedicle morphology, and appeared to reduce the efficiency of synaptic transmission from cones to bipolar cells. Although we did not observe other developmental or phototransduction defects in cones with mislocalized nuclei, their dark adaptation was impaired, consistent with a deficiency in chromophore recycling. These findings demonstrate that the apical localization of cone nuclei in the ONL is required for the timely dark adaptation and efficient synaptic transmission in cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Xue
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Razafsky
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Didier Hodzic
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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20
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Thebeau C, Zhang S, Kolesnikov AV, Kefalov VJ, Semenkovich CF, Rajagopal R. Light deprivation reduces the severity of experimental diabetic retinopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 137:104754. [PMID: 31978605 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Illumination of the retina is a major determinant of energy expenditure by its neurons. However, it remains unclear whether light exposure significantly contributes to the pathophysiology of common retinal disease. Driven by the premise that light exposure reduces the metabolic demand of the retina, recent clinical trials failed to demonstrate a benefit for constant illumination in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Here, we instead ask whether light deprivation or blockade of visual transduction could modulate the severity of this common cause of blindness. We randomized adult mice with two different models of diabetic retinopathy to 1-3 months of complete dark housing. Unexpectedly, we find that diabetic mice exposed to short or prolonged light deprivation have reduced diabetes-induced retinal pathology, using measures of visual function, compared to control animals in standard lighting conditions. To corroborate these results, we performed assays of retinal vascular health in diabetic Gnat1-/- and Rpe65-/- mice, which lack phototransduction. Both mutants displayed less diabetes-associated retinal vascular disease compared to respective wild-type controls. Collectively, these results suggest that light-induced visual transduction promotes the development of diabetic retinopathy and implicate photoreceptors as an early source of visual pathology in diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Thebeau
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Clay F Semenkovich
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Rithwick Rajagopal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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21
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Kolesnikov AV, Chrispell JD, Osawa S, Kefalov VJ, Weiss ER. Phosphorylation at Serine 21 in G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 (GRK1) is required for normal kinetics of dark adaption in rod but not cone photoreceptors. FASEB J 2019; 34:2677-2690. [PMID: 31908030 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902535r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Timely recovery of the light response in photoreceptors requires efficient inactivation of photoactivated rhodopsin. This process is initiated by phosphorylation of its carboxyl terminus by G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 (GRK1). Previously, we showed that GRK1 is phosphorylated in the dark at Ser21 in a cAMP-dependent manner and dephosphorylated in the light. Results in vitro indicate that dephosphorylation of Ser21 increases GRK1 activity, leading to increased phosphorylation of rhodopsin. This creates the possibility of light-dependent regulation of GRK1 activity and its efficiency in inactivating the visual pigment. To address the functional role of GRK1 phosphorylation in rods and cones in vivo, we generated mutant mice in which Ser21 is substituted with alanine (GRK1-S21A), preventing dark-dependent phosphorylation of GRK1. GRK1-S21A mice had normal retinal morphology, without evidence of degeneration. The function of dark-adapted GRK1-S21A rods and cones was also unaffected, as demonstrated by the normal amplitude and kinetics of their responses obtained by ex vivo and in vivo ERG recordings. In contrast, rod dark adaptation following exposure to bright bleaching light was significantly delayed in GRK1-S21A mice, suggesting that the higher activity of this kinase results in enhanced rhodopsin phosphorylation and therefore delays its regeneration. In contrast, dark adaptation of cones was unaffected by the S21A mutation. Taken together, these data suggest that rhodopsin phosphorylation/dephosphorylation modulates the recovery of rhodopsin to the ground state and rod dark adaptation. They also reveal a novel role for cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of GRK1 in regulating the dark adaptation of rod but not cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jared D Chrispell
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shoji Osawa
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ellen R Weiss
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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22
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Leinonen H, Choi EH, Gardella A, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. A Mixture of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Approved Monoaminergic Drugs Protects the Retina From Light Damage in Diverse Models of Night Blindness. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 60:1442-1453. [PMID: 30947334 PMCID: PMC6736410 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.19-26560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the extent of light damage in different models of night blindness and apply these paradigms in testing the therapeutic efficacy of combination therapy by drugs acting on the Gi, Gs, and Gq protein-coupled receptors. Methods Acute bright light exposure was used to test susceptibility to light damage in mice lacking the following crucial phototransduction proteins: rod transducin (GNAT1), cone transducin (GNAT2), visual arrestin 1 (ARR1), and rhodopsin kinase 1 (GRK1). Mice were intraperitoneally injected with either vehicle or drug combination consisting of metoprolol (β1-receptor antagonist), bromocriptine (dopamine family-2 receptor agonist) and tamsulosin (α1-receptor antagonist) before bright light exposure. Light damage was primarily assessed with optical coherence tomography and inspection of cone population in retinal whole mounts. Retinal inflammation was assessed in a subset of experiments using autofluorescence imaging by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and by postmortem inspection of microglia and astrocyte activity. Results The Gnat1−/− mice showed slightly increased susceptibility to rod light damage, whereas the Gnat2−/− mice were very resistant. The Arr1−/− and Grk1−/− mice were sensitive for both rod and cone light damage and showed robust retinal inflammation 7 days after bright light exposure. Pretreatment with metoprolol + bromocriptine + tamsulosin rescued the retina in all genetic backgrounds, starting at doses of 0.2 mg/kg metoprolol, 0.02 mg/kg bromocriptine, and 0.01 mg/kg tamsulosin in the Gnat1−/− mice. The therapeutic drug doses increased in parallel with light-damage severity. Conclusions Our results suggest that congenital stationary night blindness and Oguchi disease patients can be at an elevated risk of the toxic effects of bright light. Furthermore, systems pharmacology drug regimens that stimulate Gi signaling and attenuate Gs and Gq signaling present a promising disease-modifying therapy for photoreceptor degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Leinonen
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Elliot H Choi
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Anthony Gardella
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
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23
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Vinberg F, Palczewska G, Zhang J, Komar K, Wojtkowski M, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. Sensitivity of Mammalian Cone Photoreceptors to Infrared Light. Neuroscience 2019; 416:100-108. [PMID: 31400484 PMCID: PMC6815255 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Two-photon vision arises from the perception of pulsed infrared (IR) laser light as color corresponding to approximately half of the laser wavelength. The physical process responsible for two-photon vision in rods has been delineated and verified experimentally only recently. Here, we sought to determine whether IR light can also be perceived by mammalian cone photoreceptors via a similar activation mechanism. To investigate selectively mammalian cone signaling in mice, we used animals with disabled rod signal transduction. We found that, contrary to the expected progressive sensitivity decrease based on the one-photon cone visual pigment spectral template, the sensitivity of mouse cone photoreceptors decreases only up to 800 nm and then increases at 900 nm and 1000 nm. Similarly, in experiments with the parafoveal region of macaque retinas, we found that the spectral sensitivity of primate cones diverged above the predicted one-photon spectral sensitivity template beyond 800 nm. In both cases, efficient detection of IR light was dependent on minimizing the dispersion of the ultrashort light pulses, indicating a non-linear two-photon activation process. Together, our studies demonstrate that mammalian cones can be activated by near IR light by a nonlinear two-photon excitation. Our results pave the way for the creation of a two-photon IR-based ophthalmoscope for the simultaneous imaging and functional testing of human retinas as a novel tool for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of visual disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Grazyna Palczewska
- Polgenix, Inc., Department of Medical Devices, 5171 California Ave., Suite 150, Irvine, CA, USA 92617
| | - Jianye Zhang
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
| | - Katarzyna Komar
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland; Baltic Institute of Technology, Al. Zwyciestwa 96/98, 81-451, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Maciej Wojtkowski
- Baltic Institute of Technology, Al. Zwyciestwa 96/98, 81-451, Gdynia, Poland; Department of Physical Chemistry of Biological Systems, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka Str. 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697.
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24
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Ruminski D, Palczewska G, Nowakowski M, Zielińska A, Kefalov VJ, Komar K, Palczewski K, Wojtkowski M. Two-photon microperimetry: sensitivity of human photoreceptors to infrared light. Biomed Opt Express 2019; 10:4551-4567. [PMID: 31565509 PMCID: PMC6757456 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.004551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Microperimetry is a subjective ophthalmologic test used to assess retinal function at various specific and focal locations of the visual field. Historically, visible light has been described as ranging from 400 to 720 nm. However, we previously demonstrated that infra-red light can initiate visual transduction in rod photoreceptors by a mechanism of two-photon absorption by visual pigments. Here we introduce a newly designed and constructed two-photon microperimeter. We provide for the first time evidence of the presence of a nonlinear process occurring in the human retina based on psychophysical tests using newly developed instrumentation. Since infra-red light penetrates the aged front of the eye better than visible light, it has the potential for improved functional diagnostics in patients with age-related visual disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruminski
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 2109 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Equal contribution
| | - Grazyna Palczewska
- Polgenix, Inc., Department of Medical Devices, 5171 California Ave., Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Equal contribution
| | | | - Agnieszka Zielińska
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Katarzyna Komar
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
- Baltic Institute of Technology, Al. Zwyciestwa 96/98, 81-451 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 2109 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, 850 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Maciej Wojtkowski
- Baltic Institute of Technology, Al. Zwyciestwa 96/98, 81-451 Gdynia, Poland
- International Center for Translational Eye Research, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka Str. 44/52 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
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25
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Gospe SM, Travis AM, Kolesnikov AV, Klingeborn M, Wang L, Kefalov VJ, Arshavsky VY. Photoreceptors in a mouse model of Leigh syndrome are capable of normal light-evoked signaling. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:12432-12443. [PMID: 31248988 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is an important cause of heritable vision loss. Mutations affecting mitochondrial bioenergetics may lead to isolated vision loss or life-threatening systemic disease, depending on a mutation's severity. Primary optic nerve atrophy resulting from death of retinal ganglion cells is the most prominent ocular manifestation of mitochondrial disease. However, dysfunction of other retinal cell types has also been described, sometimes leading to a loss of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium that manifests clinically as pigmentary retinopathy. A popular mouse model of mitochondrial disease that lacks NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 (NDUFS4), a subunit of mitochondrial complex I, phenocopies many traits of the human disease Leigh syndrome, including the development of optic atrophy. It has also been reported that ndufs4 -/- mice display diminished light responses at the level of photoreceptors or bipolar cells. By conducting electroretinography (ERG) recordings in live ndufs4 -/- mice, we now demonstrate that this defect occurs at the level of retinal photoreceptors. We found that this deficit does not arise from retinal developmental anomalies, photoreceptor degeneration, or impaired regeneration of visual pigment. Strikingly, the impairment of ndufs4 -/- photoreceptor function was not observed in ex vivo ERG recordings from isolated retinas, indicating that photoreceptors with complex I deficiency are intrinsically capable of normal signaling. The difference in electrophysiological phenotypes in vivo and ex vivo suggests that the energy deprivation associated with severe mitochondrial impairment in the outer retina renders ndufs4 -/- photoreceptors unable to maintain the homeostatic conditions required to operate at their normal capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidney M Gospe
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
| | - Amanda M Travis
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Mikael Klingeborn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Luyu Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710; Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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26
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Kiser PD, Kolesnikov AV, Kiser JZ, Dong Z, Chaurasia B, Wang L, Summers SA, Hoang T, Blackshaw S, Peachey NS, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. Conditional deletion of Des1 in the mouse retina does not impair the visual cycle in cones. FASEB J 2019; 33:5782-5792. [PMID: 30645148 PMCID: PMC6436658 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802493r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors are essential for vision under moderate to high illuminance and allow color discrimination. Their fast dark adaptation rate and resistance to saturation are believed to depend in part on an intraretinal visual cycle that supplies 11-cis-retinaldehyde to cone opsins. Candidate enzymes of this pathway have been reported, but their physiologic contribution to cone photoresponses remains unknown. Here, we evaluate the role of a candidate retinol isomerase of this pathway, sphingolipid δ4 desaturase 1 (Des1). Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed Des1 expression not only in Müller glia but also throughout the retina and in the retinal pigment epithelium. We assessed cone functional dependence on Müller cell–expressed Des1 through a conditional knockout approach. Floxed Des1 mice, on a guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit α transducin 1 knockout (Gnat1−/−) background to allow isolated recording of cone-driven photoresponses, were bred with platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (Pdgfrα)-Cre mice to delete Des1 in Müller cells. Conditional knockout of Des1 expression, as shown by tissue-selective Des1 gene recombination and reduced Des1 catalytic activity, caused no gross changes in the retinal structure and had no effect on cone sensitivity or dark adaptation but did slightly accelerate the rate of cone phototransduction termination. These results indicate that Des1 expression in Müller cells is not required for cone visual pigment regeneration in the mouse.—Kiser, P. D., Kolesnikov, A.V., Kiser, J. Z., Dong, Z., Chaurasia, B., Wang, L., Summers, S. A., Hoang, T., Blackshaw, S., Peachey, N. S., Kefalov, V. J., Palczewski, K. Conditional deletion of Des1 in the mouse retina does not impair the visual cycle in cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D Kiser
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jianying Z Kiser
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Bhagirath Chaurasia
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology (NUIP), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.,Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Liping Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology (NUIP), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.,Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Scott A Summers
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology (NUIP), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.,Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Thanh Hoang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Neal S Peachey
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California-Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA
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27
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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28
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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: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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29
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Sarria I, Cao Y, Wang Y, Ingram NT, Orlandi C, Kamasawa N, Kolesnikov AV, Pahlberg J, Kefalov VJ, Sampath AP, Martemyanov KA. LRIT1 Modulates Adaptive Changes in Synaptic Communication of Cone Photoreceptors. Cell Rep 2018; 22:3562-3573. [PMID: 29590623 PMCID: PMC5902029 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors scale dynamically the sensitivity of responses to maintain responsiveness across wide range of changes in luminance. Synaptic changes contribute to this adaptation, but how this process is coordinated at the molecular level is poorly understood. Here, we report that a cell adhesion-like molecule, LRIT1, is enriched selectively at cone photoreceptor synapses where it engages in a trans-synaptic interaction with mGluR6, the principal receptor in postsynaptic ON-bipolar cells. The levels of LRIT1 are regulated by the neurotransmitter release apparatus that controls photoreceptor output. Knockout of LRIT1 in mice increases the sensitivity of cone synaptic signaling while impairing its ability to adapt to background light without overtly influencing the morphology or molecular composition of photoreceptor synapses. Accordingly, mice lacking LRIT1 show visual deficits under conditions requiring temporally challenging discrimination of visual signals in steady background light. These observations reveal molecular mechanisms involved in scaling synaptic communication in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Sarria
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Yuchen Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Norianne T Ingram
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Cesare Orlandi
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Naomi Kamasawa
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Florida Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Johan Pahlberg
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kirill A Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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30
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Kiser PD, Zhang J, Sharma A, Angueyra JM, Kolesnikov AV, Badiee M, Tochtrop GP, Kinoshita J, Peachey NS, Li W, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. Retinoid isomerase inhibitors impair but do not block mammalian cone photoreceptor function. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:571-590. [PMID: 29500274 PMCID: PMC5881442 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RPE65 is a retinoid isomerase essential for rod function, but its contribution to cone vision is enigmatic. Using selective RPE65 inhibitors, Kiser et al. demonstrate that cone function depends only partially on continuous RPE65 activity, providing support for cone-specific regeneration mechanisms. Visual function in vertebrates critically depends on the continuous regeneration of visual pigments in rod and cone photoreceptors. RPE65 is a well-established retinoid isomerase in the pigment epithelium that regenerates rhodopsin during the rod visual cycle; however, its contribution to the regeneration of cone pigments remains obscure. In this study, we use potent and selective RPE65 inhibitors in rod- and cone-dominant animal models to discern the role of this enzyme in cone-mediated vision. We confirm that retinylamine and emixustat-family compounds selectively inhibit RPE65 over DES1, the putative retinoid isomerase of the intraretinal visual cycle. In vivo and ex vivo electroretinography experiments in Gnat1−/− mice demonstrate that acute administration of RPE65 inhibitors after a bleach suppresses the late, slow phase of cone dark adaptation without affecting the initial rapid portion, which reflects intraretinal visual cycle function. Acute administration of these compounds does not affect the light sensitivity of cone photoreceptors in mice during extended exposure to background light, but does slow all phases of subsequent dark recovery. We also show that cone function is only partially suppressed in cone-dominant ground squirrels and wild-type mice by multiday administration of an RPE65 inhibitor despite profound blockade of RPE65 activity. Complementary experiments in these animal models using the DES1 inhibitor fenretinide show more modest effects on cone recovery. Collectively, these studies demonstrate a role for continuous RPE65 activity in mammalian cone pigment regeneration and provide further evidence for RPE65-independent regeneration mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D Kiser
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH .,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Jianye Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Aditya Sharma
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Juan M Angueyra
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Mohsen Badiee
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Gregory P Tochtrop
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Neal S Peachey
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.,Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.,Department of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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Frederiksen R, Nymark S, Kolesnikov AV, Berry JD, Adler L, Koutalos Y, Kefalov VJ, Cornwall MC. Rhodopsin kinase and arrestin binding control the decay of photoactivated rhodopsin and dark adaptation of mouse rods. J Gen Physiol 2017; 148:1-11. [PMID: 27353443 PMCID: PMC4924931 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201511538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein receptor kinase and arrestin 1 are required for inactivation of photoactivated vertebrate rhodopsin. Frederiksen et al. show that they additionally regulate the subsequent decay of inactive rhodopsin into opsin and all-trans retinal and therefore dark adaptation. Photoactivation of vertebrate rhodopsin converts it to the physiologically active Meta II (R*) state, which triggers the rod light response. Meta II is rapidly inactivated by the phosphorylation of C-terminal serine and threonine residues by G-protein receptor kinase (Grk1) and subsequent binding of arrestin 1 (Arr1). Meta II exists in equilibrium with the more stable inactive form of rhodopsin, Meta III. Dark adaptation of rods requires the complete thermal decay of Meta II/Meta III into opsin and all-trans retinal and the subsequent regeneration of rhodopsin with 11-cis retinal chromophore. In this study, we examine the regulation of Meta III decay by Grk1 and Arr1 in intact mouse rods and their effect on rod dark adaptation. We measure the rates of Meta III decay in isolated retinas of wild-type (WT), Grk1-deficient (Grk1−/−), Arr1-deficient (Arr1−/−), and Arr1-overexpressing (Arr1ox) mice. We find that in WT mouse rods, Meta III peaks ∼6 min after rhodopsin activation and decays with a time constant (τ) of 17 min. Meta III decay slows in Arr1−/− rods (τ of ∼27 min), whereas it accelerates in Arr1ox rods (τ of ∼8 min) and Grk1−/− rods (τ of ∼13 min). In all cases, regeneration of rhodopsin with exogenous 11-cis retinal is rate limited by the decay of Meta III. Notably, the kinetics of rod dark adaptation in vivo is also modulated by the levels of Arr1 and Grk1. We conclude that, in addition to their well-established roles in Meta II inactivation, Grk1 and Arr1 can modulate the kinetics of Meta III decay and rod dark adaptation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikard Frederiksen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Soile Nymark
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, BioMediTech, Tampere University of Technology, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Justin D Berry
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Leopold Adler
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Yiannis Koutalos
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - M Carter Cornwall
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
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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. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24550.001 Cells known as photoreceptors sense light in the eye. Light activates signaling pathways inside the photoreceptors that relay visual information to nerve cells, which carry the information to the brain. Photoreceptors called cone cells allow us to distinguish different colors of light and therefore play an important role in daytime vision. Over the course of the day, the overall levels of light in the environment can vary widely and so photoreceptors need to be able to adjust their signaling pathways so that they can still respond to light stimuli. Calcium ions modulate the signaling pathways inside cone cells to help them adjust to changing light levels. These ions also play other important roles in the health and activity of photoreceptors, so the cells need to carefully control how many calcium ions they contain. Cone cells contain a structure known as the outer segment, which is responsible for detecting light stimuli. It is believed that cones control the levels of calcium ions in the outer segment by balancing the flow of calcium ions into and out of the segment. The calcium ions enter the outer segment via channels that sit in the membrane surrounding the cell. A transporter protein known as NCKX2, which is only found in cone cells, was thought to pump the calcium ions out of the cell. However, recent data has challenged this idea by demonstrating that NCKX2 only plays a minor role in this process. Vinberg et al. investigated how calcium ions leave the outer segments of cone cells in several different animals. The experiments show that a transporter protein called NCKX4 – which belongs to the same protein family as NCKX2 – is the main transporter involved in removing calcium ions from the cone cells of mice. Loss of NCKX4 from mouse cones reduced the ability of these cells to respond to fast and rapidly changing light stimuli, and to operate in bright light. Further experiments show that NCKX4 is also found in the outer segments of zebrafish and monkey cone cells. The next challenges will be to find out if NCKX4 is also present in human cones and whether it plays a role in regulating our daytime vision. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24550.002
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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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Potter C, Zhu W, Razafsky D, Ruzycki P, Kolesnikov AV, Doggett T, Kefalov VJ, Betleja E, Mahjoub MR, Hodzic D. Multiple Isoforms of Nesprin1 Are Integral Components of Ciliary Rootlets. Curr Biol 2017. [PMID: 28625779 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
SYNE1 (synaptic nuclear envelope 1) encodes multiple isoforms of Nesprin1 (nuclear envelope spectrin 1) that associate with the nuclear envelope (NE) through a C-terminal KASH (Klarsicht/Anc1/Syne homology) domain (Figure 1A) [1-4]. This domain interacts directly with the SUN (Sad1/Unc84) domain of Sun proteins [5-7], a family of transmembrane proteins of the inner nuclear membrane (INM) [8, 9], to form the so-called LINC complexes (linkers of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) that span the entire NE and mediate nuclear positioning [10-12]. In a stark departure from this classical depiction of Nesprin1 in the context of the NE, we report here that rootletin recruits Nesprin1α at the ciliary rootlets of photoreceptors and identify asymmetric NE aggregates of Nesprin1α and Sun2 that dock filaments of rootletin at the nuclear surface. In NIH 3T3 cells, we show that recombinant rootletin filaments also dock to the NE through the specific recruitment of an ∼600-kDa endogenous isoform of Nesprin1 (Nes1600kDa) and of Sun2. In agreement with the association of Nesprin1α with photoreceptor ciliary rootlets and the functional interaction between rootletin and Nesprin1 in fibroblasts, we demonstrate that multiple isoforms of Nesprin1 are integral components of ciliary rootlets of multiciliated ependymal and tracheal cells. Together, these data provide a novel functional paradigm for Nesprin1 at ciliary rootlets and suggest that the wide spectrum of human pathologies linked to truncating mutations of SYNE1 [13-15] may originate in part from ciliary defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Potter
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Wanqiu Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David Razafsky
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Philip Ruzycki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Teresa Doggett
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ewelina Betleja
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Moe R Mahjoub
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Didier Hodzic
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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35
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Sato S, Kefalov VJ. cis Retinol oxidation regulates photoreceptor access to the retina visual cycle and cone pigment regeneration. J Physiol 2016; 594:6753-6765. [PMID: 27385534 PMCID: PMC5108915 DOI: 10.1113/jp272831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS This study explores the nature of the cis retinol that Müller cells in the retina provide to cones for the regeneration of their visual pigment. We report that the retina visual cycle provides cones exclusively with 11-cis chromophore in both salamander and mouse and show that this selectivity is dependent on the 11-cis-specific cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP) present in Müller cells. Even though salamander blue cones and green rods share the same visual pigment, only blue cones but not green rods are able to dark-adapt in the retina following a bleach and to use exogenous 9-cis retinol for pigment regeneration, suggesting that access to the retina visual cycle is cone-specific and pigment-independent. Our results show that the retina produces 11-cis retinol that can be oxidized and used for pigment regeneration and dark adaptation selectively in cones and not in rods. ABSTRACT Chromophore supply by the retinal Müller cells (retina visual cycle) supports the efficient pigment regeneration required for cone photoreceptor function in bright light. Surprisingly, a large fraction of the chromophore produced by dihydroceramide desaturase-1, the putative all-trans retinol isomerase in Müller cells, appears to be 9-cis retinol. In contrast, the canonical retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) visual cycle produces exclusively 11-cis retinal. Here, we used the different absorption spectra of 9-cis and 11-cis pigments to identify the isoform of the chromophore produced by the visual cycle of the intact retina. We found that the spectral sensitivity of salamander and mouse cones dark-adapted in the isolated retina (with only the retina visual cycle) was similar to that of cones dark-adapted in the intact eye (with both the RPE and retina visual cycles) and consistent with pure 11-cis pigment composition. However, in mice lacking the cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), cone spectral sensitivity contained a substantial 9-cis component. Thus, the retina visual cycle provides cones exclusively with 11-cis chromophore and this process is mediated by the 11-cis selective CRALBP in Müller cells. Finally, despite sharing the same pigment, salamander blue cones, but not green rods, recovered their sensitivity in the isolated retina. Exogenous 9-cis retinol produced robust sensitivity recovery in bleached red and blue cones but not in red and green rods, suggesting that cis retinol oxidation restricts access to the retina visual cycle to cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Sato
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMO63110USA
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMO63110USA
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Abstract
Cones comprise only a small portion of the photoreceptors in mammalian retinas. However, cones are vital for color vision and visual perception, and their loss severely diminishes the quality of life for patients with retinal degenerative diseases. Cones function in bright light and have higher demand for energy than rods; yet, the mechanisms that support the energy requirements of cones are poorly understood. One such pathway that potentially could sustain cones under basal and stress conditions is macroautophagy. We addressed the role of macroautophagy in cones by examining how the genetic block of this pathway affects the structural integrity, survival, and function of these neurons. We found that macroautophagy was not detectable in cones under normal conditions but was readily observed following 24 h of fasting. Consistent with this, starvation induced phosphorylation of AMPK specifically in cones indicating cellular starvation. Inhibiting macroautophagy in cones by deleting the essential macroautophagy gene Atg5 led to reduced cone function following starvation suggesting that cones are sensitive to systemic changes in nutrients and activate macroautophagy to maintain their function. ATG5-deficiency rendered cones susceptible to light-induced damage and caused accumulation of damaged mitochondria in the inner segments, shortening of the outer segments, and degeneration of all cone types, revealing the importance of mitophagy in supporting cone metabolic needs. Our results demonstrate that macroautophagy supports the function and long-term survival of cones providing for their unique metabolic requirements and resistance to stress. Targeting macroautophagy has the potential to preserve cone-mediated vision during retinal degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenqing Zhou
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
| | - Frans Vinberg
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
| | - Frank Schottler
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
| | - Teresa A Doggett
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
| | - Thomas A Ferguson
- a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; School of Medicine ; St. Louis , MO USA
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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38
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Razafsky D, Ward C, Potter C, Zhu W, Xue Y, Kefalov VJ, Fong LG, Young SG, Hodzic D. Lamin B1 and lamin B2 are long-lived proteins with distinct functions in retinal development. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:1928-37. [PMID: 27075175 PMCID: PMC4907726 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-03-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lamin B1 and lamin B2 are essential building blocks of the nuclear lamina, a filamentous meshwork lining the nucleoplasmic side of the inner nuclear membrane. Deficiencies in lamin B1 and lamin B2 impair neurodevelopment, but distinct functions for the two proteins in the development and homeostasis of the CNS have been elusive. Here we show that embryonic depletion of lamin B1 in retinal progenitors and postmitotic neurons affects nuclear integrity, leads to the collapse of the laminB2 meshwork, impairs neuronal survival, and markedly reduces the cellularity of adult retinas. In stark contrast, a deficiency of lamin B2 in the embryonic retina has no obvious effect on lamin B1 localization or nuclear integrity in embryonic retinas, suggesting that lamin B1, but not lamin B2, is strictly required for nucleokinesis during embryonic neurogenesis. However, the absence of lamin B2 prevents proper lamination of adult retinal neurons, impairs synaptogenesis, and reduces cone photoreceptor survival. We also show that lamin B1 and lamin B2 are extremely long-lived proteins in rod and cone photoreceptors. OF interest, a complete absence of both proteins during postnatal life has little or no effect on the survival and function of cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Razafsky
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Candace Ward
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Chloe Potter
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Wanqiu Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Yunlu Xue
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Loren G Fong
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Stephen G Young
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Didier Hodzic
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
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Ding XQ, Thapa A, Ma H, Xu J, Elliott MH, Rodgers KK, Smith ML, Wang JS, Pittler SJ, Kefalov VJ. The B3 Subunit of the Cone Cyclic Nucleotide-gated Channel Regulates the Light Responses of Cones and Contributes to the Channel Structural Flexibility. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:8721-34. [PMID: 26893377 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.696138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels play a pivotal role in cone phototransduction, which is a process essential for daylight vision, color vision, and visual acuity. Mutations in the cone channel subunits CNGA3 and CNGB3 are associated with human cone diseases, including achromatopsia, cone dystrophies, and early onset macular degeneration. Mutations in CNGB3 alone account for 50% of reported cases of achromatopsia. This work investigated the role of CNGB3 in cone light response and cone channel structural stability. As cones comprise only 2-3% of the total photoreceptor population in the wild-type mouse retina, we used Cngb3(-/-)/Nrl(-/-) mice with CNGB3 deficiency on a cone-dominant background in our study. We found that, in the absence of CNGB3, CNGA3 was able to travel to the outer segments, co-localize with cone opsin, and form tetrameric complexes. Electroretinogram analyses revealed reduced cone light response amplitude/sensitivity and slower response recovery in Cngb3(-/-)/Nrl(-/-) mice compared with Nrl(-/-) mice. Absence of CNGB3 expression altered the adaptation capacity of cones and severely compromised function in bright light. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that CNGA3 channels lacking CNGB3 were more resilient to proteolysis than CNGA3/CNGB3 channels, suggesting a hindered structural flexibility. Thus, CNGB3 regulates cone light response kinetics and the channel structural flexibility. This work advances our understanding of the biochemical and functional role of CNGB3 in cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hongwei Ma
- From the Departments of Cell Biology and
| | - Jianhua Xu
- From the Departments of Cell Biology and
| | - Michael H Elliott
- Ophthalmology and Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Karla K Rodgers
- Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and
| | - Marci L Smith
- Department of Vision Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35924, and
| | - Jin-Shan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Steven J Pittler
- Department of Vision Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35924, and
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
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40
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Abstract
Continuous visual perception and the dark adaptation of vertebrate photoreceptors after bright light exposure require recycling of their visual chromophore through a series of reactions in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE visual cycle). Light-driven chromophore consumption by photoreceptors is greater in daytime vs. nighttime, suggesting that correspondingly higher activity of the visual cycle may be required. However, as rod photoreceptors are saturated in bright light, the continuous turnover of their chromophore by the visual cycle throughout the day would not contribute to vision. Whether the recycling of chromophore that drives rod dark adaptation is regulated by the circadian clock and light exposure is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that mouse rod dark adaptation is slower during the day or after light pre-exposure. This surprising daytime suppression of the RPE visual cycle was accompanied by light-driven reduction in expression of Rpe65, a key enzyme of the RPE visual cycle. Notably, only rods in melatonin-proficient mice were affected by this daily visual cycle modulation. Our results demonstrate that the circadian clock and light exposure regulate the recycling of chromophore in the RPE visual cycle. This daily melatonin-driven modulation of rod dark adaptation could potentially protect the retina from light-induced damage during the day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Xue
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology &Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Graduate Program in Division of Biological &Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Susan Q Shen
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Pathology &Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Graduate Program in Division of Biological &Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Pathology &Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology &Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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41
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Enright JM, Toomey MB, Sato SY, Temple SE, Allen JR, Fujiwara R, Kramlinger VM, Nagy LD, Johnson KM, Xiao Y, How MJ, Johnson SL, Roberts NW, Kefalov VJ, Guengerich FP, Corbo JC. Cyp27c1 Red-Shifts the Spectral Sensitivity of Photoreceptors by Converting Vitamin A1 into A2. Curr Biol 2015; 25:3048-57. [PMID: 26549260 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Some vertebrate species have evolved means of extending their visual sensitivity beyond the range of human vision. One mechanism of enhancing sensitivity to long-wavelength light is to replace the 11-cis retinal chromophore in photopigments with 11-cis 3,4-didehydroretinal. Despite over a century of research on this topic, the enzymatic basis of this perceptual switch remains unknown. Here, we show that a cytochrome P450 family member, Cyp27c1, mediates this switch by converting vitamin A1 (the precursor of 11-cis retinal) into vitamin A2 (the precursor of 11-cis 3,4-didehydroretinal). Knockout of cyp27c1 in zebrafish abrogates production of vitamin A2, eliminating the animal's ability to red-shift its photoreceptor spectral sensitivity and reducing its ability to see and respond to near-infrared light. Thus, the expression of a single enzyme mediates dynamic spectral tuning of the entire visual system by controlling the balance of vitamin A1 and A2 in the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Enright
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shin-ya Sato
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shelby E Temple
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - James R Allen
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Rina Fujiwara
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Valerie M Kramlinger
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Leslie D Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Martin J How
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Stephen L Johnson
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicholas W Roberts
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - F Peter Guengerich
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Kolesnikov AV, Maeda A, Tang PH, Imanishi Y, Palczewski K, Kefalov VJ. Retinol dehydrogenase 8 and ATP-binding cassette transporter 4 modulate dark adaptation of M-cones in mammalian retina. J Physiol 2015; 593:4923-41. [PMID: 26350353 DOI: 10.1113/jp271285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS This study explores the molecular mechanisms that regulate the recycling of chromophore required for pigment regeneration in mammalian cones. We report that two chromophore binding proteins, retinol dehydrogenase 8 (RDH8) and photoreceptor-specific ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCA4) accelerate the dark adaptation of cones, first, directly, by facilitating the processing of chromophore in cones, and second, indirectly, by accelerating the turnover of chromophore in rods, which is then recycled and delivered to both rods and cones. Preventing competition with the rods by knocking out rhodopsin accelerated cone dark adaptation, demonstrating the interplay between rod and cone pigment regeneration driven by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This novel interdependence of rod and cone pigment regeneration should be considered when developing therapies targeting the recycling of chromophore for rods, and evaluating residual cone function should be a critical test for such regimens targeting the RPE. ABSTRACT Rapid recycling of visual chromophore and regeneration of the visual pigment are critical for the continuous function of mammalian cone photoreceptors in daylight vision. However, the molecular mechanisms modulating the supply of visual chromophore to cones have remained unclear. Here we explored the roles of two chromophore-binding proteins, retinol dehydrogenase 8 (RDH8) and photoreceptor-specific ATP-binding cassette transporter 4 (ABCA4), in dark adaptation of mammalian cones. We report that young adult RDH8/ABCA4-deficient mice have normal M-cone morphology but reduced visual acuity and photoresponse amplitudes. Notably, the deletion of RDH8 and ABCA4 suppressed the dark adaptation of M-cones driven by both the intraretinal visual cycle and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) visual cycle. This delay can be caused by two separate mechanisms: direct involvement of RDH8 and ABCA4 in cone chromophore processing, and an indirect effect from the delayed recycling of chromophore by the RPE due to its slow release from RDH8/ABCA4-deficient rods. Intriguingly, our data suggest that RDH8 could also contribute to the oxidation of cis-retinoids in cones, a key reaction of the retina visual cycle. Finally, we dissected the roles of rod photoreceptors and RPE for dark adaptation of M-cones. We found that rods suppress, whereas RPE promotes, cone dark adaptation. Thus, therapeutic approaches targeting the RPE visual cycle could have adverse effects on the function of cones, making the evaluation of residual cone function a critical test for regimens targeting the RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Akiko Maeda
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Peter H Tang
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Yoshikazu Imanishi
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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43
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Berkowitz BA, Kern TS, Bissig D, Patel P, Bhatia A, Kefalov VJ, Roberts R. Systemic Retinaldehyde Treatment Corrects Retinal Oxidative Stress, Rod Dysfunction, and Impaired Visual Performance in Diabetic Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2015; 56:6294-303. [PMID: 26431483 PMCID: PMC4594469 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-16990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Diabetes appears to induce a visual cycle defect because rod dysfunction is correctable with systemic treatment of the visual cycle chromophore 11-cis-retinaldehyde. However, later studies have found no evidence for visual cycle impairment. Here, we further examined whether photoreceptor dysfunction is corrected with 11-cis-retinaldehyde. Because antioxidants correct photoreceptor dysfunction in diabetes, the hypothesis that exogenous visual chromophores have antioxidant activity in the retina of diabetic mice in vivo was tested. METHODS Rod function in 2-month-old diabetic mice was evaluated using transretinal electrophysiology in excised retinas and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MRI to measure light-evoked expansion of subretinal space (SRS) in vivo. Optokinetic tracking was used to evaluate cone-based visual performance. Retinal production of superoxide free radicals, generated mostly in rod cells, was biochemically measured with lucigenin. Diabetic mice were systemically treated with a single injection of either 11-cis-retinaldehyde, 9-cis-retinaldehyde (a chromophore surrogate), or all-trans-retinaldehyde (the photoisomerization product of 11-cis-retinaldehyde). RESULTS Consistent with previous reports, diabetes significantly reduced (1) dark-adapted rod photo responses (transretinal recording) by ∼18%, (2) rod-dominated light-stimulated SRS expansion (ADC MRI) by ∼21%, and (3) cone-dominated contrast sensitivity (using optokinetic tracking [OKT]) by ∼30%. Both 11-cis-retinaldehyde and 9-cis-retinaldehyde largely corrected these metrics of photoreceptor dysfunction. Higher-than-normal retinal superoxide production in diabetes by ∼55% was also significantly corrected following treatment with 11-cis-retinaldehyde, 9-cis-retinaldehyde, or all-trans-retinaldehyde. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, data suggest that retinaldehydes improve photoreceptor dysfunction in diabetic mice, independent of the visual cycle, via an antioxidant mechanism.
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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
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Timothy S. Kern
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - David Bissig
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Priya Patel
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Ankit Bhatia
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Vladimir J. Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Robin Roberts
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
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44
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Vinberg F, Wang T, Molday RS, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. A new mouse model for stationary night blindness with mutant Slc24a1 explains the pathophysiology of the associated human disease. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:5915-29. [PMID: 26246500 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations that affect calcium homeostasis (Ca(2+)) in rod photoreceptors are linked to retinal degeneration and visual disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). It is thought that the concentration of Ca(2+) in rod outer segments is controlled by a dynamic balance between influx via cGMP-gated (CNG) channels and extrusion via Na(+)/Ca(2+), K(+) exchangers (NCKX1). The extrusion-driven lowering of rod [Ca(2+)]i following light exposure controls their light adaptation and response termination. Mutant NCKX1 has been linked to autosomal-recessive stationary night blindness. However, whether NCKX1 contributes to light adaptation has not been directly tested and the mechanisms by which human NCKX1 mutations cause night blindness are not understood. Here, we report that the deletion of NCKX1 in mice results in malformed outer segment disks, suppressed expression and function of rod CNG channels and a subsequent 100-fold reduction in rod responses, while preserving normal cone responses. The compensating loss of CNG channel function in the absence of NCKX1-mediated Ca(2+) extrusion may prevent toxic Ca(2+) buildup and provides an explanation for the stationary nature of the associated disorder in humans. Surprisingly, the lack of NCKX1 did not compromise rod background light adaptation, suggesting additional Ca(2+)-extruding mechanisms exist in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Vinberg
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tian Wang
- Cell and Neurobiology, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA and
| | - Robert S Molday
- Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Cell and Neurobiology, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA and
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA,
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45
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Sarria I, Pahlberg J, Cao Y, Kolesnikov AV, Kefalov VJ, Sampath AP, Martemyanov KA. Sensitivity and kinetics of signal transmission at the first visual synapse differentially impact visually-guided behavior. eLife 2015; 4:e06358. [PMID: 25879270 PMCID: PMC4412108 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the retina, synaptic transmission between photoreceptors and downstream ON-bipolar neurons (ON-BCs) is mediated by a GPCR pathway, which plays an essential role in vision. However, the mechanisms that control signal transmission at this synapse and its relevance to behavior remain poorly understood. In this study we used a genetic system to titrate the rate of GPCR signaling in ON-BC dendrites by varying the concentration of key RGS proteins and measuring the impact on transmission of signal between photoreceptors and ON-BC neurons using electroretinography and single cell recordings. We found that sensitivity, onset timing, and the maximal amplitude of light-evoked responses in rod- and cone-driven ON-BCs are determined by different RGS concentrations. We further show that changes in RGS concentration differentially impact visually guided-behavior mediated by rod and cone ON pathways. These findings illustrate that neuronal circuit properties can be modulated by adjusting parameters of GPCR-based neurotransmission at individual synapses. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06358.001 At the back of the eye, a structure called the retina contains several types of cell that convert light into the electrical signals that the brain interprets to produce vision. Cells called rods and cones detect the light, and then signal to other neurons in the retina that relay this information to the brain. Rods and cones are specialized to respond best to different visual features: cones detect color and can track rapid movement; whereas rods are more sensitive to low light levels and so enable night vision. All rods and cones communicate with particular types of neuron called an ‘ON bipolar cell’: rods send their information to rod-specific ON bipolar cells and cones to cone ON-bipolar cells. To maintain the differences in how visual features are detected, the signals sent by the rod or cone cells need to be tuned separately. Previous studies showed that bipolar cells rely on the action of proteins called RGSs to control how information is passed from rods and cones to ON bipolar cells. However, how the RGS proteins produce their effects is not well understood, and neither is their impact on vision or behavior. Sarria et al. used a genetic approach to create mice that progressively lost RGS proteins from their retina over the course of several weeks. Recording the nerve impulses produced by the bipolar cells as light shone on the retina revealed that RGS depletion affects these neurons in three ways: how sensitive they are to the signals sent by the rod and cone cells, how quickly they respond to a signal, and the size of the electrical response that they produce. Sarria et al. then investigated how these changes affected the behavior of the mice. To test the response of the rod cells, the mice performed tasks in dim light. This revealed that it was only when the sensitivity of the bipolar cells decreased that the mice performed worse. However, in a task involving fast-moving objects that investigated the response of cone cells, only changes to the speed of the response affected vision. Therefore, the RGS protein has different effects on the signals from rod cells and cone cells. These findings will be useful for understanding how different light sensitive cells in the retina communicate their signals to extract important visual features, allowing us to both see well at night and track rapid changes in scenery on a bright sunny day. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06358.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Sarria
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
| | - Johan Pahlberg
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Kirill A Martemyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, United States
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46
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Zhang N, Tsybovsky Y, Kolesnikov AV, Rozanowska M, Swider M, Schwartz SB, Stone EM, Palczewska G, Maeda A, Kefalov VJ, Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Palczewski K. Protein misfolding and the pathogenesis of ABCA4-associated retinal degenerations. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:3220-37. [PMID: 25712131 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ABCA4 gene are a common cause of autosomal recessive retinal degeneration. All mouse models to date are based on knockouts of Abca4, even though the disease is often caused by missense mutations such as the complex allele L541P;A1038V (PV). We now show that the PV mutation causes severe human disease whereas the V mutation alone causes mild disease. Mutant ABCA4 proteins expressed heterologously in mammalian cells retained normal cellular localization. However, basal and all-trans-retinal-stimulated ATPase activities were reduced substantially for P and PV but only mildly for V. Electron microscopy revealed marked structural changes and misfolding for the P and PV mutants but few changes for the V mutant, consistent with the disease severity difference in patients. We generated Abca4(PV/PV) knock-in mice homozygous for the complex PV allele to investigate the effects of this misfolding mutation in vivo. Mutant ABCA4 RNA levels approximated WT ABCA4 RNA levels but, surprisingly, only trace amounts of mutant ABCA4 protein were noted in the retina. RNA sequencing of WT, Abca4(-/-) and Abca4(PV/PV) mice revealed mild gene expression alterations in the retina and RPE. Similar to Abca4(-/-) mice, Abca4(PV/PV) mice showed substantial A2E and lipofuscin accumulation in their RPE cells but no retinal degeneration up to 12 months of age. Thus, rapid degradation of this large misfolded mutant protein in mouse retina caused little detectable photoreceptor degeneration. These findings suggest likely differences in the unfolded protein response between murine and human photoreceptors and support development of therapies directed at increasing this capability in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology and
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology and
| | - Alexander V Kolesnikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Malgorzata Rozanowska
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Malgorzata Swider
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sharon B Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edwin M Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Iowa City, IA, USA and
| | | | - Akiko Maeda
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8096, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Samuel G Jacobson
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology and
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47
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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48
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Xue Y, Shen SQ, Jui J, Rupp AC, Byrne LC, Hattar S, Flannery JG, Corbo JC, Kefalov VJ. CRALBP supports the mammalian retinal visual cycle and cone vision. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:727-38. [PMID: 25607845 DOI: 10.1172/jci79651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP, encoded by RLBP1) can lead to severe cone photoreceptor-mediated vision loss in patients. It is not known how CRALBP supports cone function or how altered CRALBP leads to cone dysfunction. Here, we determined that deletion of Rlbp1 in mice impairs the retinal visual cycle. Mice lacking CRALBP exhibited M-opsin mislocalization, M-cone loss, and impaired cone-driven visual behavior and light responses. Additionally, M-cone dark adaptation was largely suppressed in CRALBP-deficient animals. While rearing CRALBP-deficient mice in the dark prevented the deterioration of cone function, it did not rescue cone dark adaptation. Adeno-associated virus-mediated restoration of CRALBP expression specifically in Müller cells, but not retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, rescued the retinal visual cycle and M-cone sensitivity in knockout mice. Our results identify Müller cell CRALBP as a key component of the retinal visual cycle and demonstrate that this pathway is important for maintaining normal cone-driven vision and accelerating cone dark adaptation.
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Berkowitz BA, Gorgis J, Patel A, Baameur F, Gurevich VV, Craft CM, Kefalov VJ, Roberts R. Development of an MRI biomarker sensitive to tetrameric visual arrestin 1 and its reduction via light-evoked translocation in vivo. FASEB J 2014; 29:554-64. [PMID: 25351983 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-254953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Rod tetrameric arrestin 1 (tet-ARR1), stored in the outer nuclear layer/inner segments in the dark, modulates photoreceptor synaptic activity; light exposure stimulates a reduction via translocation to the outer segments for terminating G-protein coupled phototransduction signaling. Here, we test the hypothesis that intraretinal spin-lattice relaxation rate in the rotating frame (1/T1ρ), an endogenous MRI contrast mechanism, has high potential for evaluating rod tet-ARR1 and its reduction via translocation. Dark- and light-exposed mice (null for the ARR1 gene, overexpressing ARR1, diabetic, or wild type with or without treatment with Mn2+, a calcium channel probe) were studied using 1/T1ρ MRI. Immunohistochemistry and single-cell recordings of the retinas were also performed. In wild-type mice with or without treatment with Mn2+, 1/T1ρ of avascular outer retina (64% to 72% depth) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the dark than in the light; a significant (P < 0.05) but opposite pattern was noted in the inner retina (<50% depth). Light-evoked outer retina Δ1/T1ρ was absent in ARR1-null mice and supernormal in overexpressing mice. In diabetic mice, the outer retinal Δ1/T1ρ pattern suggested normal dark-to-light tet-ARR1 translocation and chromophore content, conclusions confirmed ex vivo. Light-stimulated Δ1/T1ρ in inner retina was linked to changes in blood volume. Our data support 1/T1ρ MRI for noninvasively assessing rod tet-ARR1 and its reduction via protein translocation, which can be combined with other metrics of retinal function in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Berkowitz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA;
| | | | | | - Faiza Baameur
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Vsevolod V Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Cheryl M Craft
- Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Eye Institute, and Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; and
| | - Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Kefalov VJ, Arshavsky VY. FASEB Science Research Conference on Biology and Chemistry of Vision. FASEB J 2014; 28:2395-7. [PMID: 24891609 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-0602ufm] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir J Kefalov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; and
| | - Vadim Y Arshavsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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