Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 97, Issue 25, Pages 13913-13918Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.250478897
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- NEI NIH HHS [EY06857, EY02660, R01 EY011358, R01 EY002660, EY11358, P30 EY012196, R29 EY011358, F32 EY006857] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDCD NIH HHS [R01 DC003055] Funding Source: Medline
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Retinal photoreceptors use the heterotrimeric: G protein transducin to couple rhodopsin to a biochemical cascade that underlies the electrical photoresponse. Several isoforms of each transducin subunit are present in the retina. Although rods and cones seem to contain distinct transducin subunits, it is not known whether phototransduction in a given cell type depends strictly on a single form of each subunit. To approach this question, we have deleted the gene for the rod transducin cu-subunit in mice. In hemizygous knockout mice, there was a small reduction in retinal transducin cr-subunit content but retinal morphology and the physiology of single rods were largely normal. In homozygous knockout mice, a mild retinal degeneration occurred with age. Rod-driven components were absent from the electroretinogram, whereas cone-driven components were retained. Every photoreceptor examined by single-cell recording failed to respond to flashes, with one exception. The solitary responsive cell was insensitive, as expected for a cone, but had a rod-like spectral sensitivity and flash response kinetics that were slow, even for rods. These results indicate that most if not ail rods use a single transducin type in phototransduction.
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