George W. Stearns

The Zebrafish nrc Mutant Reveals a Role for the Polyphosphoinositide Phosphatase Synaptojanin 1 in Cone Photoreceptor Ribbon Anchoring

Visual, vestibular, and auditory neurons rely on ribbon synapses for rapid continuous release and recycling of synaptic vesicles. Molecular mechanisms responsible for the properties of ribbon synapses are mostly unknown. The zebrafish vision mutant nrc has unanchored ribbons and abnormal synaptic transmission at cone photoreceptor synapses. We used positional cloning to identify the nrc mutation as a premature stop codon in the synaptojanin1 (synj1) gene. Synaptojanin 1 (Synj1) is undetectable in nrc extracts, and biochemical activities associated with it are reduced. Furthermore, morpholinos directed against synj1 phenocopy the nrc mutation. Synj1 is a polyphosphoinositide phosphatase important at conventional synapses for clathrin-mediated endocytosis and actin cytoskeletal rearrangement. In the nrc cone photoreceptor pedicle, not only are ribbons unanchored, but synaptic vesicles are reduced in number, abnormally distributed, and interspersed within a dense cytoskeletal matrix. Our findings reveal a new role for Synj1 and link phosphoinositide metabolism to ribbon architecture and function at the cone photoreceptor synapse.

A Mutation in the Cone-Specific pde6 Gene Causes Rapid Cone Photoreceptor Degeneration in Zebrafish

Photoreceptor degeneration is a common cause of inherited blindness worldwide. We have identified a blind zebrafish mutant with rapid degeneration of cone photoreceptors caused by a mutation in the cone phosphodiesterase c (pde6c) gene, a key regulatory component in cone phototransduction. Some rods also degenerate, primarily in areas with a low density of rods. Rod photoreceptors in areas of the retina that always have a high density of rods are protected from degeneration. Our findings demonstrate that, analogous to what happens to rod photoreceptors in the rd1 mouse model, loss of cone phosphodiesterase leads to rapid degeneration of cone photoreceptors. Furthermore, we propose that cell density plays a key role in determining whether rod photoreceptors degenerate as a secondary consequence to cone degeneration. Our zebrafish mutant serves as a model for developing therapeutic treatments for photoreceptor degeneration in humans.

The Ciliopathy Gene cc2d2a controls Zebrafish Photoreceptor Outer Segment Development Through a Role in Rab8-dependent Vesicle Trafficking

Ciliopathies are a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of human developmental disorders whose root cause is the absence or dysfunction of primary cilia. Joubert syndrome is characterized by a distinctive hindbrain malformation variably associated with retinal dystrophy and cystic kidney disease. Mutations in CC2D2A are found in ∼10% of patients with Joubert syndrome. Here we describe the retinal phenotype of cc2d2a mutant zebrafish consisting of disorganized rod and cone photoreceptor outer segments resulting in abnormal visual function as measured by electroretinogram. Our analysis reveals trafficking defects in mutant photoreceptors affecting transmembrane outer segment proteins (opsins) and striking accumulation of vesicles, suggesting a role for Cc2d2a in vesicle trafficking and fusion. This is further supported by mislocalization of Rab8, a key regulator of opsin carrier vesicle trafficking, in cc2d2a mutant photoreceptors and by enhancement of the cc2d2a retinal and kidney phenotypes with partial knockdown of rab8. We demonstrate that Cc2d2a localizes to the connecting cilium in photoreceptors and to the transition zone in other ciliated cell types and that cilia are present in these cells in cc2d2a mutants, arguing against a primary function for Cc2d2a in ciliogenesis. Our data support a model where Cc2d2a, localized at the photoreceptor connecting cilium/transition zone, facilitates protein transport through a role in Rab8-dependent vesicle trafficking and fusion.

Flow of energy in the outer retina in darkness and in light

Structural features of neurons create challenges for effective production and distribution of essential metabolic energy. We investigated how metabolic energy is distributed between cellular compartments in photoreceptors. In avascular retinas, aerobic production of energy occurs only in mitochondria that are located centrally within the photoreceptor. Our findings indicate that metabolic energy flows from these central mitochondria as phosphocreatine toward the photoreceptor’s synaptic terminal in darkness. In light, it flows in the opposite direction as ATP toward the outer segment. Consistent with this model, inhibition of creatine kinase in avascular retinas blocks synaptic transmission without influencing outer segment activity. Our findings also reveal how vascularization of neuronal tissue can influence the strategies neurons use for energy management. In vascularized retinas, mitochondria in the synaptic terminals of photoreceptors make neurotransmission less dependent on creatine kinase. Thus, vasculature of the tissue and the intracellular distribution of mitochondria can play key roles in setting the strategy for energy distribution in neurons.

Zebrafish Class 1 Phosphatidylinositol Transfer Proteins: PITPβ and Double Cone Cell Outer Segment Integrity in Retina

Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (PITPs) in yeast co‐ordinate lipid metabolism with the activities of specific membrane trafficking pathways. The structurally unrelated metazoan PITPs (mPITPs), on the other hand, are an under‐investigated class of proteins. It remains unclear what biological activities mPITPs discharge, and the mechanisms by which these proteins function are also not understood. The soluble class 1 mPITPs include the PITPα and PITPβ isoforms. Of these, the β‐isoforms are particularly poorly characterized. Herein, we report the use of zebrafish as a model vertebrate for the study of class 1 mPITP biological function. Zebrafish express PITPα and PITPβ‐isoforms (Pitpna and Pitpnb, respectively) and a novel PITPβ‐like isoform (Pitpng). Pitpnb expression is particularly robust in double cone cells of the zebrafish retina. Morpholino‐mediated protein knockdown experiments demonstrate Pitpnb activity is primarily required for biogenesis/maintenance of the double cone photoreceptor cell outer segments in the developing retina. By contrast, Pitpna activity is essential for successful navigation of early developmental programs. This study reports the initial description of the zebrafish class 1 mPITP family, and the first analysis of PITPβ function in a vertebrate.

Celsr3 Is Required for Normal Development of GABA Circuits in the Inner Retina

The identity of the specific molecules required for the process of retinal circuitry formation is largely unknown. Here we report a newly identified zebrafish mutant in which the absence of the atypical cadherin, Celsr3, leads to a specific defect in the development of GABAergic signaling in the inner retina. This mutant lacks an optokinetic response (OKR), the ability to visually track rotating illuminated stripes, and develops a super-normal b-wave in the electroretinogram (ERG). We find that celsr3 mRNA is abundant in the amacrine and ganglion cells of the retina, however its loss does not affect synaptic lamination within the inner plexiform layer (IPL) or amacrine cell number. We localize the ERG defect pharmacologically to a late-stage disruption in GABAergic modulation of ON-bipolar cell pathway and find that the DNQX-sensitive fast b1 component of the ERG is specifically affected in this mutant. Consistently, we find an increase in GABA receptors on mutant ON-bipolar terminals, providing a direct link between the observed physiological changes and alterations in GABA signaling components. Finally, using blastula transplantation, we show that the lack of an OKR is due, at least partially, to Celsr3-mediated defects within the brain. These findings support the previously postulated inner retina origin for the b1 component and reveal a new role for Celsr3 in the normal development of ON visual pathway circuitry in the inner retina.

Loss of Pde6 reduces cell body Ca2+ transients within photoreceptors

Modulation of Ca2+ within cells is tightly regulated through complex and dynamic interactions between the plasma membrane and internal compartments. In this study, we exploit in vivo imaging strategies based on genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators to define changes in perikaryal Ca2+ concentration of intact photoreceptors. We developed double-transgenic zebrafish larvae expressing GCaMP3 in all cones and tdTomato in long-wavelength cones to test the hypothesis that photoreceptor degeneration induced by mutations in the phosphodiesterase-6 (Pde6) gene is driven by excessive [Ca2+]i levels within the cell body. Arguing against Ca2+ overload in Pde6 mutant photoreceptors, simultaneous analysis of cone photoreceptor morphology and Ca2+ fluxes revealed that degeneration of pde6cw59 mutant cones, which lack the cone-specific cGMP phosphodiesterase, is not associated with sustained increases in perikaryal [Ca2+]i. Analysis of [Ca2+]i in dissociated Pde6βrd1mouse rods shows conservation of this finding across vertebrates. In vivo, transient and Pde6-independent Ca2+ elevations (‘flashes’) were detected throughout the inner segment and the synapse. As the mutant cells proceeded to degenerate, these Ca2+ fluxes diminished. This study thus provides insight into Ca2+ dynamics in a common form of inherited blindness and uncovers a dramatic, light-independent modulation of [Ca2+]i that occurs in normal cones.