Human Molecular Genetics Advance Access originally published online on July 27, 2005
Human Molecular Genetics 2005 14(17):2547-2557; doi:10.1093/hmg/ddi258
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rhodopsin maturation defects induce photoreceptor death by apoptosis: a fly model for RhodopsinPro23His human retinitis pigmentosa


1Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, CU de Strasbourg, France and 2INSERM U592, Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire de la Rétine, 75571 Paris Cedex 12, France
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +33 388653381; Fax: +33 388653201; Email: angela{at}titus.u-strasbg.fr
Received March 8, 2005; Revised May 4, 2005; Accepted July 13, 2005
rhodopsin mutations result in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP), the most frequent being Proline-23 substitution by histidine (RhoP23H). Although cellular and rodent animal models have been developed, the pathogenic mechanisms leading to RhoP23H-induced cell death are still poorly understood. For this, we have used a Drosophila model by introducing a mutation in the fly rhodopsin-1 gene (Rh1P37H) that corresponds to human RhoP23H. Rh1P37H transgenic flies show dominant photoreceptor degeneration that mimics age-, light-dependent and progressive ADRP. Moreover, we clarify the pathogenic mechanism of Rh1P37H mutation that acts as an antimorph. First, we show the dual-localization of mutant Rhodopsin since most of Rh1P37H accumulates in endoplasmic reticulum. Second, expression of mutant, mislocalized, Rhodopsin leads to cytotoxicity, via the activation of two stress-specific mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38 and JNK, which are known to control stress-induced apoptosis. In Rh1P37H flies, visual loss and degeneration are indeed accompanied by apoptotic features and prevented by expression of p35 apoptosis inhibitor. Finally, we show for the first time that properly localized, mutant, Rhodopsin is active. Thus, the development of a fly model that faithfully reproduces the human disease sheds light onto the molecular defects causing ADRP thereby making it possible to devise potential therapeutic approaches.
Co-last authors.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
R. Datta, A. Waheed, G. Bonapace, G. N. Shah, and W. S. Sly Pathogenesis of retinitis pigmentosa associated with apoptosis-inducing mutations in carbonic anhydrase IV PNAS, March 3, 2009; 106(9): 3437 - 3442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. M. Tam and O. L. Moritz Dark Rearing Rescues P23H Rhodopsin-Induced Retinal Degeneration in a Transgenic Xenopus laevis Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Chromophore-Dependent Mechanism Characterized by Production of N-Terminally Truncated Mutant Rhodopsin J. Neurosci., August 22, 2007; 27(34): 9043 - 9053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||

