Cargando…

Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process

Two genes in Drosophila, rdgA and rdgB, which when defective cause retinal degeneration, were discovered by Hotta and Benzer (Hotta, Y., and S. Benzer. 1970. Proc. Natl, Acad. Sci. U. S, A. 67:1156-1163). These mutants have photoreceptor cells that are histologically normal upon eclosion but subsequ...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Rockefeller University Press 1977
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2215017/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/139462
_version_ 1782148984753618944
collection PubMed
description Two genes in Drosophila, rdgA and rdgB, which when defective cause retinal degeneration, were discovered by Hotta and Benzer (Hotta, Y., and S. Benzer. 1970. Proc. Natl, Acad. Sci. U. S, A. 67:1156-1163). These mutants have photoreceptor cells that are histologically normal upon eclosion but subsequently degenerate. The defects in the rdgA and rdgB mutants were localized by the study of genetic mosaics to the photoreceptor cells. In rdgB mutants retinal degeneration is light induced. It can be prevented by rearing the flies in the dark or by blocking the receptor potential with a no-receptor-potential mutation, norpA. Vitamin A deprivation and genetic elimination of the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase alsoprotect the photoreceptors of rdgB flies against light-induced damage. The photopigment kinetics of dark-reared rdgB flies appear normal in vitro by spectrophotometric measurements, and in vivo by measurements of the M potential. In normal Drosophila, a 1-s exposure to intense 470-nm light produces a prolonged depolarizing afterpotential (PDA) which can last for several hours. In dark-reared rdgB mutants the PDA lasts less than 2 min;; it appears to initiate the degeneration process, since the photoreceptors become permanently unresponsive after a single such exposure. Another mutant was isolated which prevents degeneration in rdgB flies but which has a normal receptor potential. This suppressor of degeneration is an allele of norpA. It is proposed that the normal norpA gene codes for a product which, when activated, leads to the receptor potential, and which is inactivated by the product of the normal rdgB gene.
format Text
id pubmed-2215017
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 1977
publisher The Rockefeller University Press
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-22150172008-04-23 Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process J Gen Physiol Articles Two genes in Drosophila, rdgA and rdgB, which when defective cause retinal degeneration, were discovered by Hotta and Benzer (Hotta, Y., and S. Benzer. 1970. Proc. Natl, Acad. Sci. U. S, A. 67:1156-1163). These mutants have photoreceptor cells that are histologically normal upon eclosion but subsequently degenerate. The defects in the rdgA and rdgB mutants were localized by the study of genetic mosaics to the photoreceptor cells. In rdgB mutants retinal degeneration is light induced. It can be prevented by rearing the flies in the dark or by blocking the receptor potential with a no-receptor-potential mutation, norpA. Vitamin A deprivation and genetic elimination of the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase alsoprotect the photoreceptors of rdgB flies against light-induced damage. The photopigment kinetics of dark-reared rdgB flies appear normal in vitro by spectrophotometric measurements, and in vivo by measurements of the M potential. In normal Drosophila, a 1-s exposure to intense 470-nm light produces a prolonged depolarizing afterpotential (PDA) which can last for several hours. In dark-reared rdgB mutants the PDA lasts less than 2 min;; it appears to initiate the degeneration process, since the photoreceptors become permanently unresponsive after a single such exposure. Another mutant was isolated which prevents degeneration in rdgB flies but which has a normal receptor potential. This suppressor of degeneration is an allele of norpA. It is proposed that the normal norpA gene codes for a product which, when activated, leads to the receptor potential, and which is inactivated by the product of the normal rdgB gene. The Rockefeller University Press 1977-03-01 /pmc/articles/PMC2215017/ /pubmed/139462 Text en This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.rupress.org/terms). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 4.0 Unported license, as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
spellingShingle Articles
Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title_full Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title_fullStr Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title_full_unstemmed Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title_short Hereditary retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
title_sort hereditary retinal degeneration in drosophila melanogaster. a mutant defect associated with the phototransduction process
topic Articles
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2215017/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/139462