title: Rhodopsin trafficking and its role in retinal dystrophies.
abstract: We review the sorting/targeting steps involved in the delivery of rhodopsin to the outer segment compartment of highly polarized photoreceptor cells. The transport of rhodopsin includes (1) the sorting/budding of rhodopsin-containing vesicles at the trans-Golgi network, (2) the directional translocation of rhodopsin-bearing vesicles through the inner segment, and (3) the delivery of rhodopsin across the connecting cilium to the outer segment. Several independent lines of evidence suggest that the carboxyl-terminal, cytoplasmic tail of rhodopsin is involved in the post-Golgi trafficking of rhodopsin. Inappropriate subcellular targeting of naturally occurring rhodopsin mutants in vivo leads to photoreceptor cell death. Thus, the genes encoding mutations in the cellular components involved in photoreceptor protein transport are likely candidate genes for retinal dystrophies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Margaret M. Dyson Vision Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA. chsung@mail.med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Tai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D012243:Rhodopsin