NudC regulates photoreceptor disk morphogenesis and rhodopsin localization

The outer segment (OS) of rod photoreceptors consist of a highly modified primary cilium containing phototransduction machinery necessary for light detection. The delivery and organization of the phototransduction components within and along the cilium into the series of stacked, highly organized disks is critical for cell function and viability. How disks are formed within the cilium remains an area of active investigation. We have found nuclear distribution protein C (nudC), a key component of mitosis and cytokinesis during development, to be present in the inner segment region of these postmitotic cells in several species, including mouse, tree shrew, monkey, and frog. Further, we found nudC interacts with rhodopsin and the small GTPase rab11a. Here, we show through transgenic tadpole studies that nudC is integral to rod cell disk formation and photoreceptor protein localization. Finally, we demonstrate that short hairpin RNA knockdown of nudC in tadpole rod photoreceptors, which leads to the inability of rod cells to maintain their OS, is rescued through coexpression of murine nudC.-Boitet, E. R., Reish, N. J., Hubbard, M. G., Gross, A. K. NudC regulates photoreceptor disk morphogenesis and rhodopsin localization.

Nucleotide bound to rab11a controls localization in rod cells but not interaction with rhodopsin

Precise vectorial transport of rhodopsin is essential for rod photoreceptor health and function. Mutations that truncate or extend the C terminus of rhodopsin disrupt this transport, and lead to retinal degeneration and blindness in human patients and in mouse models. Here we show that such mutations disrupt the binding of rhodopsin to the small GTPase rab11a. The rhodopsin-rab11a interaction is a direct binding interaction that does not depend on the nucleotide binding state of rab11a. Expression of EGFP-rab11a fusion proteins in Xenopus laevis photoreceptors revealed that the nucleotide binding status of rab11a affects its subcellular localization, with GTP-locked mutants concentrated in the inner segment and GDP-locked mutants concentrated in the outer segment. shRNA-mediated knockdown of rab11a in rods led to shortened outer segments and retinal degeneration. Together, our results show the critical importance of direct rhodopsin-rab11a interactions for the formation and maintenance of vertebrate photoreceptors.

Rab11a and myosin Vb regulate recycling of the M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

Agonist-induced internalization followed by subsequent return to the cell surface regulates G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activity. Because the cellular responsiveness to ligand depends on the balance between receptor degradation and recycling, it is crucial to identify the molecules involved in GPCR recovery to the cell surface. In this study, we identify mechanisms involved in the recycling of the M4 subtype of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. M4 is highly expressed in the CNS, plays a role in locomotor activity, and is a novel therapeutic target for neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Previous studies show that, after cholinergic stimulation, M4 internalizes from the cell surface to endosomes in cell culture and the rat brain. Here, we show that, after activation, M4 traffics to transferrin receptor- and Rab11a-positive perinuclear endosomes. Expression of the constitutively GDP-bound, inactive mutant Rab11aS25N inhibits M4 trafficking to recycling endosomes. Expression of the C-terminal tail of myosin Vb, a Rab11a effector, enhances M4 accumulation in perinuclear endosomes. Both Rab11aS25N and the myosin Vb tail impair M4 recycling. The results demonstrate that GPCR recycling is mediated through a discrete pathway using both Rab11a and myosin Vb.