Mislocalized Rhodopsin Does Not Require Activation to Cause Retinal Degeneration and Neurite Outgrowth inXenopus laevis

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Abstract
Mutations in the C terminus of rhodopsin disrupt a rod outer segment localization signal, causing rhodopsin mislocalization and aggressive forms of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Studies of cultured photoreceptors suggest that activated mislocalized rhodopsin can cause cell death via inappropriate G-protein-coupled signaling. To determine whether this pathway occursin vivo, we developed a transgenicXenopus laevismodel of RP based on the class I rhodopsin mutation Q344Ter (Q350Ter inX. laevis). We used a second mutation, K296R, to block the ability of rhodopsin to bind chromophore and activate transducin. We compared the effects of expression of both mutants onX. laevisretinas alone and in combination. K296R did not significantly alter the cellular distribution of rhodopsin and did not induce retinal degeneration. Q350Ter caused rhodopsin mislocalization and induced an RP-like degeneration, including loss of rods and development of sprouts or neurites in some remaining rods, but did not affect the distribution of endogenous rhodopsin. The double mutant K296R/Q350Ter caused a similar degeneration and neurite outgrowth. In addition, we found no protective effects of dark rearing in these animals. Our results demonstrate that the degenerative effects of mislocalized rhodopsin are not mediated by the activated form of rhodopsin and therefore do not proceed via conventional G-protein-coupled signaling.