Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-13-2009
Publication Title
PLoS Genetics
Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Progressive retinal degeneration is the underlying feature of many human retinal dystrophies. Previous work using Drosophila as a model system and analysis of specific mutations in human rhodopsin have uncovered a connection between rhodopsin endocytosis and retinal degeneration. In these mutants, rhodopsin and its regulatory protein arrestin form stable complexes, and endocytosis of these complexes causes photoreceptor cell death. In this study we show that the internalized rhodopsin is not degraded in the lysosome but instead accumulates in the late endosomes. Using mutants that are defective in late endosome to lysosome trafficking, we were able to show that rhodopsin accumulates in endosomal compartments in these mutants and leads to light-dependent retinal degeneration. Moreover, we also show that in dying photoreceptors the internalized rhodopsin is not degraded but instead shows characteristics of insoluble proteins. Together these data implicate buildup of rhodopsin in the late endosomal system as a novel trigger of death of photoreceptor neurons.
DOI
10.1371/journal.pgen.1000377
Original Citation
Chinchore Y, Mitra A, Dolph PJ. Accumulation of rhodopsin in late endosomes triggers photoreceptor cell degeneration. PLoS Genet. 2009 Feb;5(2):e1000377. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000377. Epub 2009 Feb 13. PMID: 19214218; PMCID: PMC2633617.
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Chinchore, Yashodhan; Mitra, Amitavo; Dolph, Patrick J.; and Perrimon, Norbert, "Accumulation of Rhodopsin in Late Endosomes Triggers Photoreceptor Cell Degeneration" (2009). Dartmouth Scholarship. 1482.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/facoa/1482
Included in
Biology Commons, Disease Modeling Commons, Genetics and Genomics Commons, Ophthalmology Commons
