| First Author | Sarria I | Year | 2016 |
| Journal | J Neurosci | Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 10 | Pages | 2915-25 |
| PubMed ID | 26961947 | Mgi Jnum | J:231666 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5774580 | Doi | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3833-15.2016 |
| Citation | Sarria I, et al. (2016) Intermolecular Interaction between Anchoring Subunits Specify Subcellular Targeting and Function of RGS Proteins in Retina ON-Bipolar Neurons. J Neurosci 36(10):2915-25 |
| abstractText | In vertebrate retina, light responses generated by the rod photoreceptors are transmitted to the second-order neurons, the ON-bipolar cells (ON-BC), and this communication is indispensible for vision in dim light. In ON-BCs, synaptic transmission is initiated by the metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR6, that signals via the G-protein Go to control opening of the effector ion channel, TRPM1. A key role in this process belongs to the GTPase Activating Protein (GAP) complex that catalyzes Go inactivation upon light-induced suppression of glutamate release in rod photoreceptors, thereby driving ON-BC depolarization to changes in synaptic input. The GAP complex has a striking molecular complexity. It contains two Regulator of G-protein Signaling (RGS) proteins RGS7 and RGS11 that directly act on Go and two adaptor subunits: RGS Anchor Protein (R9AP) and the orphan receptor, GPR179. Here we examined the organizational principles of the GAP complex in ON-BCs. Biochemical experiments revealed that RGS7 binds to a conserved site in GPR179 and that RGS11 in vivo forms a complex only with R9AP. R9AP and GPR179 are further integrated via direct protein-protein interactions involving their cytoplasmic domains. Elimination of GPR179 prevents postsynaptic accumulation of R9AP. Furthermore, concurrent knock-out of both R9AP and RGS7 does not reconfigure the GAP complex and completely abolishes synaptic transmission, resulting in a novel mouse model of night blindness. Based on these results, we propose a model of hierarchical assembly and function of the GAP complex that supports ON-BCs visual signaling. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The ability of photoreceptors to transmit signals to the downstream ON-bipolar neurons in the retina is indispensible for vision. In this study, we delineate the molecular organization of the central regulatory complex, the GTPase Activating Protein (GAP) complex, that drives postsynaptic responses in ON-bipolar cells. Here, we identify an unexpected complexity and interdependence between multiple subunits of the GAP complex. We propose a model for its supramolecular assembly, where individual components hierarchically control expression and intracellular targeting of the GAP complex. Broad interest results from the crucial role of similarly organized GAP complexes throughout the nervous system, where they control a wide range of fundamental neuronal processes, including learning and memory, reward, and movement coordination. |
