0000000000054691

AUTHOR

Stef J.f. Letteboer

PCARE and WASF3 regulate ciliary F-actin assembly that is required for the initiation of photoreceptor outer segment disk formation

Significance The photoreceptor outer segments are primary cilia, modified for phototransduction by incorporation of stacked opsin-loaded membrane disks that are continuously regenerated. This process is disrupted in several types of inherited retinal dystrophy, but the driving force remained unclear. We show that C2orf71/PCARE (photoreceptor cilium actin regulator), associated with inherited retinal dystrophy subtype RP54, efficiently recruits the Arp2/3 complex activator WASF3 to the cilium. This activates an actin dynamics-driven expansion of the ciliary tip, resembling membrane evagination in lamellipodia formation. Colocalization of this actin dynamics module to the base of the outer se…

research product

Usher syndrome and Leber congenital amaurosis are molecularly linked via a novel isoform of the centrosomal ninein-like protein.

Contains fulltext : 80984.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Usher syndrome (USH) and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) are autosomal recessive disorders resulting in syndromic and non-syndromic forms of blindness. In order to gain insight into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying retinal degeneration, we searched for interacting proteins of USH2A isoform B (USH2A(isoB)) and the LCA5-encoded protein lebercilin. We identified a novel isoform of the centrosomal ninein-like protein, hereby named Nlp isoform B (Nlp(isoB)), as a common interactor. Although we identified the capacity of this protein to bind calcium with one of its three EF-hand domains, the interacton with USH2A(isoB) did …

research product

CiliaCarta: An integrated and validated compendium of ciliary genes

The cilium is an essential organelle at the surface of mammalian cells whose dysfunction causes a wide range of genetic diseases collectively called ciliopathies. The current rate at which new ciliopathy genes are identified suggests that many ciliary components remain undiscovered. We generated and rigorously analyzed genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and evolutionary data and systematically integrated these using Bayesian statistics into a predictive score for ciliary function. This resulted in 285 candidate ciliary genes. We generated independent experimental evidence of ciliary associations for 24 out of 36 analyzed candidate proteins using multiple cell and animal model systems (mouse…

research product

MPP1 links the Usher protein network and the Crumbs protein complex in the retina.

Contains fulltext : 53571.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) The highly ordered distribution of neurons is an essential feature of a functional mammalian retina. Disruptions in the apico-basal polarity complexes at the outer limiting membrane (OLM) of the retina are associated with retinal patterning defects in vertebrates. We have analyzed the binding repertoire of MPP5/Pals1, a key member of the apico-basal Crumbs polarity complex, that has functionally conserved counterparts in zebrafish (nagie oko) and Drosophila (Stardust). We show that MPP5 interacts with its MAGUK family member MPP1/p55 at the OLM. Mechanistically, this interaction involves heterodimerization of both MAGUK mo…

research product

Mutations in the gene encoding the basal body protein RPGRIP1L, a nephrocystin-4 interactor, cause Joubert syndrome.

Peters, T.A./0000-0001-8443-5500; van Beersum, Sylvia E.C./0000-0002-4552-2908; Cremers, Frans/0000-0002-4954-5592; Roepman, Ronald/0000-0002-5178-8163 WOS: 000247619800019 PubMed: 17558407 Protein- protein interaction analyses have uncovered a ciliary and basal body protein network that, when disrupted, can result in nephronophthisis ( NPHP), Leber congenital amaurosis, Senior- Loken syndrome ( SLSN) or Joubert syndrome ( JBTS)(1-6). However, details of the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders remain poorly understood. RPGRIP1- like protein ( RPGRIP1L) is a homolog of RPGRIP1 ( RPGR-interacting protein 1), a ciliary protein defective in Leber congenital amaurosis(7,8). We show t…

research product

An siRNA-based functional genomics screen for the identification of regulators of ciliogenesis and ciliopathy genes

Item does not contain fulltext Defects in primary cilium biogenesis underlie the ciliopathies, a growing group of genetic disorders. We describe a whole-genome siRNA-based reverse genetics screen for defects in biogenesis and/or maintenance of the primary cilium, obtaining a global resource. We identify 112 candidate ciliogenesis and ciliopathy genes, including 44 components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, 12 G-protein-coupled receptors, and 3 pre-mRNA processing factors (PRPF6, PRPF8 and PRPF31) mutated in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. The PRPFs localize to the connecting cilium, and PRPF8- and PRPF31-mutated cells have ciliary defects. Combining the screen with exome sequen…

research product

Identification of novel interaction partners for Vlgr1b/GPR98 - a key component of the periciliary Usher syndrome protein network in photoreceptor cells

The human Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common form of combined hereditary deaf-blindness. Three clinical subtypes (USH1-3) are differentiated based on severity, age of onset and progression of the symptoms. Mutations in the GPR98 gene encoding the USH2C protein Vlgr1b or GPR98 cause USH2, the most common form of USH. The G-protein coupled receptor Vlgr1b was previously identified as a component of the periciliary USH protein network, crucial for ciliary cargo transport in photoreceptors. Nonetheless, the exact role of Vlgr1b in this and other cellular processes remains to be elucidated. To learn more about its involvement in cellular functions we searched for novel interaction partners …

research product