Role for Protein Prenylation and "CAAX" Processing in Photoreceptor Neurons
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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2016 Role for protein prenylation and "CAAX" processing in photoreceptor neurons Nachiket D. Pendse Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Pendse, Nachiket D., "Role for protein prenylation and "CAAX" processing in photoreceptor neurons" (2016). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6397. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6397 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Role for protein prenylation and “CAAX” processing in photoreceptor neurons Nachiket D. Pendse Dissertation submitted to the Department of Biology at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Visvanathan Ramamurthy, Ph.D., Chair Maxim Sokolov, Ph.D. Peter Mathers, Ph.D. Andrew Dacks, Ph.D. Shuo Wei, Ph.D. Graduate Program in Biology West Virginia University School of Medicine Morgantown, West Virginia 2016 Key Words: Prenylation, photoreceptor neurons, retina, phototransduction and vision Copyright 2016 Nachiket Pendse ABSTRACT Role for protein prenylation and “CAAX” processing in photoreceptor neurons Nachiket D. Pendse The efficient folding, assembly and trafficking of phototransduction proteins from site of synthesis in the inner segment (IS) to the site of action in the outer segment (OS) is crucial for photoreceptor cell survival and function. Defects in this process are known to cause blinding diseases in humans including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA). The lack of a therapeutic approach for treatment of various retinal degenerations is likely due a knowledge gap in the mechanisms underlying the folding, assembly and transport of prenylated phototransduction proteins. Prenylation and “CAAX” processing is thought to be involved not only in membrane anchorage of proteins but also in trafficking and regulating interactions between proteins. However, in-vivo experimental evidence scrutinizing the role of prenylation in retinal neurons is absent. Moreover, there are a growing number of discoveries linking prenylation defects with different retinal disorders, such as RP, LCA, rod and cone dystrophy, achromatopsia. The purpose of my dissertation is to understand the role of prenylation in biosynthesis, transport and function of key players of phototransduction cascade in photoreceptor neuron. To investigate the role of prenylation and methylation in photoreceptor neurons, we created mice models lacking prenyl transferases (chapter 2 and 3) and methyl transferases (chapter 4) in photoreceptor neurons. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, we discuss the general significance of prenylation in photoreceptor neurons. We focused on the essential role of prenylation in the function and stability of a variety of prenylated proteins involved in phototransduction pathway. In Chapter 2, data is presented from the first animal model we generated that lacks prenylation in cone photoreceptor neurons. In the study, we demonstrated that the geranylgeranyl lipid anchors on cone PDE6 acts as a “molecular grip” to facilitate either the interaction between cone PDE6 and chaperone AIPL1 or assembly, a step needed for synthesis of functional PDE6 in cones. In chapter 3, we investigated defects in retina and in various phototransduction protein due to lack of prenylation in retina. Here we illustrate that lack of farnesylation affects the proper localization of rod transducin and also results in defective translocation kinetics. Our findings from this works also shows that single lipid anchor on PDE6 is sufficient for its assembly. Chapter 4, we discuss the potential role for ICMT mediated methyl esterification in photoreceptor morphogenesis and function. Our study demonstrates the in-vivo requirement of ICMT- mediated methylation of transducin γ and cone PDE6 for their membrane anchorage highlighting the key role of ICMT in retinal neurons. Finally, in Chapter 5 we discuss the most significant and novel findings from our work and strategies to fill the gaps in knowledge that remain concerning the role of prenylation in photoreceptor cells. Overall, our findings highlight the intricate role of prenylation and methylation in photoreceptor neurons in vivo. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not be possible first and foremost without my advisor, Dr. Visvanathan Ramamurthy. I began fresh out of my second year of graduate school where my schedule was regular and decided for me daily. Dr. Ramamurthy helped me understand how to manage my time properly and realize that very little happens as expected, at least in a Ph.D., and how to plan accordingly. Our weekly meetings helped keep me on track toward larger goals by assessing the value of each experiment and properly planning it from the start. Taking ownership of projects is something that I learned from him. I must also acknowledge the help of Dr. Maxim Sokolov and Dr. Saravanan Kolandaivelu who provided much support and undivided attention whenever requested. Among my peers, I must first acknowledge my lab mates Zach Wright, Abi Hayes, Tanya Dilan, and Jesse Sundar. They really made grabbing a coffee much more enjoyable. I especially want to thank Dr. Nidhi Saraiya, Dr. Dan Murphy and Joe Murphy for their friendship and support both academically and personally. I would not be here without the love and support of my family. I must thank my parents for always supporting me without question and advocating for whatever made me happy. Likewise, my siblings, Hrishi and Shona, have been a continuous source of support and relief from the day-to-day struggles of graduate school. A special thanks and my love goes to my greatest advocate, Devangi Patankar, who has been there every single day of this rewarding and often stressful experience. She has supported without repose and deserves all my gratitude. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... III LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 1 ISOPRENYL LIPIDS: MORE THAN JUST THE STICKY ANCHORS ..................................... 1 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 3 NEED OF PRENYLATION IN PHOTORECEPTOR NEURONS ....................................... 4 AN OVERVIEW OF PRENYLATION IN PHOTORECEPTOR NEURONS ..................... 5 PRENYLATED PROTEINS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PROCESSING FOR MATURATION ...................................................................................................................... 7 PHOTOTRANSDUCTION AND PRENYLATED PROTEINS IN PHOTORECEPTOR NEURONS. ........................................................................................................................... 10 DEFECTS IN PRENYLATION LEAD TO RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES.... 19 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 21 PGGT1B-MEDIATED PROTEIN GERANYLGERANYLATION IS CRUCIAL FOR ASSEMBLY OF PHOSPHODIESTERASE 6 AND FUNCTION OF CONE PHOTORECEPTOR NEURONS ................................................................................................. 28 ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. 29 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT .............................................................................................. 30 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 31 RESULT .................................................................................................................................... 33 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................... 38 MATERIAL AND METHODS ................................................................................................ 41 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... 42 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 43 FIGURE LEGENDS