Photoreceptors are among the most metabolically active cells. They have extraordinarily large mitochondria and consume oxygen at exceptional rates. Energy production by glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation must keep pace with energy consumption in these highly specialized neurons. Photoreceptors consume oxygen slightly faster in darkness than in light, but the processes that consume energy are qualitatively very different. Mutations that create an imbalance of energy production and consumption under specific conditions may introduce stresses that cause oxidative damage and cell death.
The aim of this proposal is to establish a quantitative model to understand production and consumption of energy in photoreceptors.
Specific aim 1 is to develop methods to quantify the rates at which various biochemical reactions consume high energy metabolites in photoreceptors.
In specific Aim 2 we will use those methods, together with specific genetic mutations in mice, to investigate the processes in photoreceptors that produce and consume energy.
In aim 2 we also will determine how energy production is regulated.
Specific aim 3 focuses on the role that the calcium-binding protein, recoverin, plays in energy metabolism. Understanding how energy is produced and consumed in these highly metabolic neurons will provide information fundamental to understanding photoreceptor function. These studies also will provide much-needed insights into why specific classes of inherited mutations cause stress and retinal disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01EY017863-02S1
Application #
7881019
Study Section
Biology and Diseases of the Posterior Eye Study Section (BDPE)
Program Officer
Mariani, Andrew P
Project Start
2007-09-15
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2009-08-01
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$81,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Du, Jianhai; An, Jie; Linton, Jonathan D et al. (2018) How Excessive cGMP Impacts Metabolic Proteins in Retinas at the Onset of Degeneration. Adv Exp Med Biol 1074:289-295
Rajala, Ammaji; Wang, Yuhong; Brush, Richard S et al. (2018) Pyruvate kinase M2 regulates photoreceptor structure, function, and viability. Cell Death Dis 9:240
Zhu, Siyan; Yam, Michelle; Wang, Yekai et al. (2018) Impact of euthanasia, dissection and postmortem delay on metabolic profile in mouse retina and RPE/choroid. Exp Eye Res 174:113-120
Chao, Jennifer R; Knight, Kaitlen; Engel, Abbi L et al. (2017) Human retinal pigment epithelial cells prefer proline as a nutrient and transport metabolic intermediates to the retinal side. J Biol Chem 292:12895-12905
Kanow, Mark A; Giarmarco, Michelle M; Jankowski, Connor Sr et al. (2017) Biochemical adaptations of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium support a metabolic ecosystem in the vertebrate eye. Elife 6:
Hurley, James B (2017) Warburg's vision. Elife 6:
Du, Jianhai; Rountree, Austin; Cleghorn, Whitney M et al. (2016) Phototransduction Influences Metabolic Flux and Nucleotide Metabolism in Mouse Retina. J Biol Chem 291:4698-710
Du, Jianhai; Yanagida, Aya; Knight, Kaitlen et al. (2016) Reductive carboxylation is a major metabolic pathway in the retinal pigment epithelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:14710-14715
Zhang, Lijuan; Du, Jianhai; Justus, Sally et al. (2016) Reprogramming metabolism by targeting sirtuin 6 attenuates retinal degeneration. J Clin Invest 126:4659-4673
Contreras, Laura; Ramirez, Laura; Du, Jianhai et al. (2016) Deficient glucose and glutamine metabolism in Aralar/AGC1/Slc25a12 knockout mice contributes to altered visual function. Mol Vis 22:1198-1212

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