title: The Drosophila rhodopsin cytoplasmic tail domain is required for maintenance of rhabdomere structure.
abstract: The ninaE-encoded Rh1 rhodopsin is the major light-sensitive pigment expressed in Drosophila R1-6 photoreceptor cells. Rh1 rhodopsin localizes to and is essential for the development and maintenance of the rhabdomere, the specialized membrane-rich organelle that serves as the site of phototransduction. We showed previously that the vertebrate bovine rhodopsin (Rho) is expressed and properly localized in Drosophila photoreceptor cells. Drosophila photoreceptors expressing only Rho have normal rhabdomere structure at young ages, but the rhabdomeres are not maintained and show extensive disorganization by 7-10 days of age. A series of Rho-Rh1 opsin chimeric rhodopsins were used to identify Rh1 domains required for maintenance of rhabdomeric structure. The results show that the Rh1 rhodopsin cytoplasmic tail domain, positioned to interact with cytoplasmic structural components, plays a major role in promoting rhabdomeric organization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Syed Tariq
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Natochin
authors.forename: Nikolai O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Artemyev
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Tousa
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050506:Mutant Chimeric Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D050506:Mutant Chimeric Proteins; D017299:Rod Opsins; D012243:Rhodopsin