Abstract
Rod and cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina utilize cGMP as the primary
intracellular messenger for the visual signaling pathway that converts a light stimulus into an electrical response. cGMP metabolism in the signal-transducing photoreceptor outer segment reflects the balance of cGMP synthesis (catalyzed by guanylyl cyclase) and degradation (catalyzed by the photoreceptor phosphodiesterase, PDE6). Upon light stimulation, rapid activation of PDE6 by the heterotrimeric G-protein (transducin) triggers a dramatic drop in cGMP levels that lead to cell hyperpolarization. Following cessation of the light stimulus, the lifetime of activated PDE6 is also precisely regulated by additional processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the structural characterization of the rod and cone PDE6 catalytic and regulatory subunits in the context of previous biochemical studies of the enzymological properties and allosteric regulation of PDE6. Emphasis is given to recent advances in understanding the structural and conformational changes underlying the mechanism by which the activated transducin α-subunit binds to—and relieves inhibition of—PDE6 catalysis that is controlled by its intrinsically disordered, inhibitory γ-subunit. The role of the regulator of G-protein signaling 9-1 (RGS9-1) in regulating the lifetime of the transducin-PDE6 is also briefly covered. The therapeutic potential of pharmacological compounds acting as inhibitors or activators targeting PDE6 is discussed in the context of inherited retinal diseases resulting from mutations in rod and cone PDE6 genes as well as other inherited defects that arise from excessive cGMP accumulation in retinal photoreceptor cells.
Department
Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences
Publication Date
2021
Grant/Award Number and Agency
National Eye Institute (NIH) R01 EY005798; National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH) P20 GM113131
Journal Title
Pflugers Archives European Journal of Physiology
Publisher
Springer
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1007/s00424-021-02562-x
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Cote, Rick H., "Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase (PDE6): Activation and Inactivation Mechanisms During Visual Transduction in Rods and Cones" (2021). Pflugers Archives European Journal of Physiology. 1235.
https://scholars.unh.edu/faculty_pubs/1235
Rights
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Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Structural Biology Commons
Comments
This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Pflugers Archives European Journal of Physiology. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00424-021-02562-x.