Renewal of Visual Cycle Components

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This proposal focuses on intracellular transport, "protein trafficking," in neurons. Neurons, which are highly polarized cells, must synthesize, translocate, and package numerous intracellular, extracellular, and membrane proteins in order to maintain their normal structure and function. The photoreceptor is an example of a highly polarized neuron which must produce and transfer membrane proteins to the outer segment proteins to the interphotoreceptor space and synaptic terminal. It is not entirely clear how neurons handle the processing of so many proteins. Dr. Carter-Dawson proposes to use the photoreceptor cell as a model to examine the processing of extracellular matrix constituents and membrane glycoproteins. In addition to providing information on "protein trafficking" in neurons, this study will also provide additional information towards the long-term goal of characterizing the interphotoreceptor matrix and visual cycle components in normal, developing, and mature retinas.