Role of Rhodopsin in Retinitis Pigmentosa

The ability of vertebrates, including humans, to see light relies on a visual transduction cascade in which rhodopsin’s ability to stimulate the nervous system plays a central role. Rhodopsin is a 348 amino acid protein composed of seven transmembrane alpha helices located within the rod photoreceptor cells of the retina. Rhodopsin is a member of the much broader protein superfamily, the G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are cell surface signaling receptors that convert extracellular signals into intracellular signaling pathways through the activation of G proteins. There are about 800 different human GPCRs and members of this superfamily are responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision. The “wild type” rhodopsin uses its retinal pigment, a derivative of vitamin A, in conjunction with its G protein partner, transducin, to detect light, particularly in night vision. Retinal serves as the “cofactor” of rhodopsin that directly absorbs a photon, causing its isomerization and a change in the structure of rhodopsin that is sensed by transducin, leading to an intracellular signaling cascade that results in a signal being sent through the optic nerve to the brain that light has been detected. Any one of over 150 rhodopsin mutations already documented in humans are known to result in loss of rhodopsin’s light‐sensing function, leading to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is a rare, slow, progressive, genetic disease which damages the retina leading to loss of vision, particularly among young adults. The most common cause of RP is a mutation‐induced misfolding of rhodopsin. The many forms of proposed treatment of RP are largely focused on improving folding of rhodopsin and inducing proteostasis, the process in the cell that promotes correct folding and quantities of proteins. Pharmacological chaperones, such as retinoids or non‐isomerrizable retinoid analogues directly target protein structure and have produced lab results that show enhanced folding and protection of other cells from the effects of mutated rhodopsin. However, replicating this in living organisms has not been possible yet. Nutritional supplements, histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as Valproate, and molecular chaperone inducers have also been tested, but only produce laboratory results that positively affect only a few aspects of mutated rhodopsin and have not yet yielded promising results in humans. Seemingly, the most promising forms of treatment for RP and rhodopsin mutations are gene therapy and CRISPR Cas‐9 genome editing to correct the genetic defects that underlie RP. However, whether any of these approaches will eventually form the basis for effective treatment or cure of RP is not yet known. The Walton High School MSOE Center for Biomolecular Modeling SMART Team has designed a 3‐D model of rhodopsin to further investigate and examine the structure‐function relationship of the protein. Support or Funding Information MSOE Center for Biomolecular Modeling