Human vision depends on vitamin A for light sensing by visual pigments in photoreceptor cells, the maintenance of cornea, and eye development. Insufficient uptake of vitamin A can cause severe blindness. However, vitamin A or chemicals derived from it can also be toxic if accumulated excessively. Nature devised a special delivery vehicle for vitamin A called plasma retinol binding protein (RBP), which is the principle, specific and high-affinity carrier of vitamin A in the blood. Healthy people have micromolar concentrations of RBP bound with vitamin A in the blood to satisfy the need of many biological processes that depend on vitamin A. RBP forms a one-to-one complex with vitamin A and is responsible for precise and regulated delivery of vitamin A to organs that depend on it such as the eye. The molecular machinery that absorbs vitamin A from RBP in the blood remained a mystery for more than 30 years until its recent identification as STRA6, a multi- transmembrane domain protein that has previously unknown function and is highly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium, a cell type that plays pivotal roles in vitamin A uptake for vision. The RBP receptor represents a new type of cell-surface receptor/transporter and takes up vitamin A from RBP in the blood through a membrane transport mechanism distinct from all known mechanisms. This proposal focuses on three major unsolved questions on the molecular mechanisms of vitamin A uptake for vision. Previous studies have revealed that STRA6 has the abilities in promoting vitamin A influx into cells, efflux out of cells, or exchange between vitami A binding proteins. However, how STRA6 interacts with the transport substrate vitamin A and how STRA6's vitamin A uptake activity is regulated are unknown. Although STRA6 is the major vitamin A uptake pathway for vision, there exists an alternative pathway that takes up the ester form of vitamin A from the blood. The molecular mechanism of this vitamin A uptake pathway for vision and its relationship with STRA6-mediated vitamin A uptake are also unknown. The three specific aims in this proposal are designed to answer these questions on vitamin A uptake. All three specific aims represent major gaps in our knowledge. We have performed preliminary studies and developed several innovative techniques and reagents to make it feasible to study these specific aims.

Public Health Relevance

Vitamin A is essential for human vision, but excessive accumulation of vitamin A or chemicals derived from vitamin A is toxic. Both vitamin A deficiency and accumulation of toxic side products of vitamin A metabolism can cause blindness. Therefore, understanding how the eye obtains a sufficient but not excessive amount of vitamin A from the blood and how vitamin A uptake for vision is regulated will have a significant impact on efforts to preserve human vision.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY018144-07
Application #
8798660
Study Section
Biology of the Visual System Study Section (BVS)
Program Officer
Neuhold, Lisa
Project Start
2007-04-01
Project End
2017-11-30
Budget Start
2014-12-01
Budget End
2015-11-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Kawaguchi, Riki; Zhong, Ming; Kassai, Miki et al. (2015) Vitamin A Transport Mechanism of the Multitransmembrane Cell-Surface Receptor STRA6. Membranes (Basel) 5:425-53
Zhong, Ming; Sun, Hui (2015) A genetic clog in the vitamin A transport machinery. Cell 161:435-437
Kawaguchi, Riki; Zhong, Ming; Kassai, Miki et al. (2013) Differential and isomer-specific modulation of vitamin A transport and the catalytic activities of the RBP receptor by retinoids. J Membr Biol 246:647-660
Zhong, Ming; Kawaguchi, Riki; Ter-Stepanian, Mariam et al. (2013) Vitamin A transport and the transmembrane pore in the cell-surface receptor for plasma retinol binding protein. PLoS One 8:e73838
Kawaguchi, Riki; Zhong, Ming; Sun, Hui (2013) Real-time analyses of retinol transport by the membrane receptor of plasma retinol binding protein. J Vis Exp :e50169
Zhong, Ming; Kawaguchi, Riki; Kassai, Miki et al. (2012) Retina, retinol, retinal and the natural history of vitamin A as a light sensor. Nutrients 4:2069-96
Kawaguchi, Riki; Zhong, Ming; Kassai, Miki et al. (2012) STRA6-catalyzed vitamin A influx, efflux, and exchange. J Membr Biol 245:731-45
Sun, Hui (2012) Membrane receptors and transporters involved in the function and transport of vitamin A and its derivatives. Biochim Biophys Acta 1821:99-112
Casey, Jillian; Kawaguchi, Riki; Morrissey, Maria et al. (2011) First implication of STRA6 mutations in isolated anophthalmia, microphthalmia, and coloboma: a new dimension to the STRA6 phenotype. Hum Mutat 32:1417-26
Kawaguchi, Riki; Yu, Jiamei; Ter-Stepanian, Mariam et al. (2011) Receptor-mediated cellular uptake mechanism that couples to intracellular storage. ACS Chem Biol 6:1041-51

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