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Biomedical subjects

S C Khani

Publications and source records attributed to S C Khani.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

11-cis retinol dehydrogenase mutations as a major cause of the congenital night-blindness disorder known as fundus albipunctatus.

PURPOSE: Patients with fundus albipunctatus uniformly experience difficulty with vision at night. Their retinas are spotted with characteristic light yellow flecks of unknown composition that typically spare the macula. A defect in the transport or utilization of visual cycle retinoids is thought to underlie this recessive disorder with variable clinical expression. To elucidate the molecular defect we considered the genes for interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (RBP3) and 11-cis retinol dehydrogenase (RDH5) as candidates for this disease. METHODS: We examined two unrelated families with fundus albipunctatus. The diagnosis was determined clinically and RBP3 and RDH5 were analyzed by molecular screening methods and direct genomic sequencing. RESULTS: Each family had two affected members with typical fundus albipunctatus. The affected members were siblings born to unaffected parents who were seventh cousins in the first family and unrelated in the second family. The probands from both families were clinically similar except for the fundus dots that were more extensive in the second family to the point of involving the parafoveal region. In the initial phase of genetic screening RBP3 defects were ruled-out as the cause of the disease in both families. In contrast, RDH5 mutations were found in the affected siblings in both families. The proband in one had a homozygotic Gly238Trp missense mutation (GGG -> TGG) involving exon 4 and in the other carried compound heterozygotic changes Arg280His (CGC -> CAC) and Ala294Pro (GCC -> CCC) in exon 5. The disease phenotype was only manifested in family members with two abnormal RDH5 alleles consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance in both pedigrees. CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly implicate defects of RDH5 as the cause of fundus albipunctatus and point to a heterogeneity of RDH5 mutations in this form of congenital stationary night blindness with variable expressivity.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Biochemical evidence for pathogenicity of rhodopsin kinase mutations correlated with the oguchi form of congenital stationary night blindness.

Rhodopsin kinase (RK), a rod photoreceptor cytosolic enzyme, plays a key role in the normal deactivation and recovery of the photoreceptor after exposure to light. To date, three different mutations in the RK locus have been associated with Oguchi disease, an autosomal recessive form of stationary night blindness in man characterized in part by delayed photoreceptor recovery [Yamamoto, S. , Sippel, K. C., Berson, E. L. & Dryja, T. P. (1997) Nat. Genet. 15, 175-178]. Two of the mutations involve exon 5, and the remaining mutation occurs in exon 7. Known exon 5 mutations include the deletion of the entire exon sequence [HRK(X5 del)] and a missense change leading to a Val380Asp substitution in the encoded product (HRKV380D). The mutation in exon 7 is a 4-bp deletion in codon 536 leading to premature termination of the encoded polypeptide [HRKS536(4-bp del)]. To provide biochemical evidence for pathogenicity of these mutations, wild-type human rhodopsin kinase (HRK) and mutant forms HRKV380D and HRKS536(4-bp del) were expressed in COS7 cells and their activities were compared. Wild-type HRK catalyzed light-dependent phosphorylation of rhodopsin efficiently. In contrast, both mutant proteins were markedly deficient in catalytic activity with HRKV380D showing virtually no detectible activity and HRKS536(4-bp del) only minimal light-dependent activity. These results provide biochemical evidence to support the pathogenicity of the RK mutations in man.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Molecular forms of human rhodopsin kinase (GRK1).

The G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are critical enzymes in the desensitization of activated G protein-coupled receptors. Six members of the GRK family have been identified to date. Among these enzymes, GRK1 (rhodopsin kinase) is involved in phototransduction and is the most specialized of the family. GRK1 phosphorylates photoactivated rhodopsin, initiating steps in its deactivation. In this study, we found that human retina expressed all GRKs except GRK4. Based on results of molecular cloning and immunolocalization, it appears that both rod and cone photoreceptors express GRK1. This conclusion was supported by the cloning of only GRK1 from cone-dominated chicken retina. Human photoreceptors also transcribe a splice variant of GRK1, which differs in its C-terminal region next to the catalytic domain. This novel variant, GRK1b, is produced by retention of the last intron. mRNA encoding GRK1b is exported to the cytosol; however, the level of the protein is relatively low compared with GRK1 (now called GRK1a), and GRK1b appears to have very low catalytic activity. Thus, these studies suggest that rods and cones, express the same form of GRK1.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1998

Null mutation in the rhodopsin kinase gene slows recovery kinetics of rod and cone phototransduction in man.

Rhodopsin kinase (RK), a specialized G-protein-coupled receptor kinase expressed in retina, is involved in quenching of light-induced signal transduction in photoreceptors. The role of RK in recovery after photoactivation has been explored in vitro and in vivo experimentally but has not been specifically defined in humans. We investigated the effects on human vision of a mutation in the RK gene causing Oguchi disease, a recessively inherited retinopathy. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the mutation, a deletion of exon 5, abolishes the enzymatic activity of RK and is likely a null. Both a homozygote and heterozygote with this RK mutation had recovery phase abnormalities of rod-isolated photoresponses by electroretinography (ERG); photoactivation was normal. Kinetics of rod bleaching adaptation by psychophysics were dramatically slowed in the homozygote but normal final thresholds were attained. Light adaptation was normal at low backgrounds but became abnormal at higher backgrounds. A slight slowing of cone deactivation kinetics in the homozygote was detected by ERG. Cone bleaching adaptation and background adaptation were normal. In this human in vivo condition without a functional RK and probable lack of phosphorylation and arrestin binding to activated rhodopsin, reduction of photolyzed chromophore and regeneration processes with 11-cis-retinal probably constitute the sole pathway for recovery of rod sensitivity. The role of RK in rods would thus be to accelerate inactivation of activated rhodopsin molecules that in concert with regeneration leads to the normal rate of recovery of sensitivity. Cones may rely mainly on regeneration for the inactivation of photolyzed visual pigment, but RK also contributes to cone recovery.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of the rhodopsin kinase gene in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

We explored the possibility that defects in the rhodopsin kinase gene might cause retinitis pigmentosa (RP) by evaluating 160 unrelated cases with dominant RP and 151 unrelated cases with recessive RP. One of five missense changes was discovered in each of six cases of dominant RP, but none of the missense changes cosegregated with disease among relatives. Heterozygous missense changes were found in two cases of recessive RP, and a heterozygous frameshift mutation was found in one additional case of recessive RP. Although the same DNA sequence alterations could be found heterozygously in the only affected sibling of each index case of recessive RP, no defect could be found in the other allele. Hence, none of the changes found in the cases of dominant or recessive RP was proven to be a cause of RP. The data indicate that defects in the rhodopsin kinase gene causing RP are either rare or nonexistent.

Codon↗
PubMed1996

Characterization and chromosomal localization of the gene for human rhodopsin kinase.

G-protein-dependent receptor kinases (GRKs) play a key role in the adaptation of receptors to persistent stimuli. In rod photoreceptors rhodopsin kinase (RK) mediates rapid desensitization of rod photoreceptors to light by catalyzing phosphorylation of the visual pigment rhodopsin. To study the structure and mechanism of GRKs in human photoreceptors, we have isolated and characterized cDNA and genomic clones derived from the human RK locus using a bovine rhodopsin kinase cDNA fragment as a probe. The RK locus, assigned to chromosome 13 band q34, is composed of seven exons that encode a protein 92% identical in amino acid sequence to bovine rhodopsin kinase. The marked difference between the structure of this gene and that of another recently cloned human GRK gene suggests the existence of a wide evolutionary gap between members of the GRK gene family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Induction and tissue-specific expression of rabbit cytochrome P450IIE1 and IIE2 genes.

Treatment of rabbits with a variety of dissimilar chemicals, including ethanol, acetone, and imidazole, results in elevated levels of hepatic and renal cytochrome P-450 form 3a, also designated P-450ALC or P-450IIE. The P450IIE1 subfamily in rabbits is composed of two genes that encode proteins with 97% sequence identity; the mRNAs from these genes can be distinguished by their differing electrophoretic mobilities. In the present studies, examination of the expression of these genes revealed that P450IIE1 (gene 1) mRNA is present in greatest abundance in the liver, is present in kidney and nasal mucosa at approximately 10% of the level in liver, and is present in lung at approximately 5% of the level in liver. P450IIE2 (gene 2) mRNA is present in liver and lung at approximately 50% of the level of gene 1 mRNA in these tissues but cannot be detected in kidney or nasal mucosa. Neither gene is expressed in testis, ovary, small intestine, or adrenal tissue. Treatment of rabbits with acetone or imidazole results in elevated levels of P-450 3a-immunoreactive protein in liver and kidney without concomitant increases in P450IIE gene mRNAs. Moreover, various lengths of ethanol treatment elevated the level of immunoreactive protein in liver and kidney, with a rapid reduction of gene 1 mRNA and, at 14 days, gene 2 mRNA to approximately 50% of control levels. In contrast to these chemical inducers of 3a, fasting for 48 hr significantly increases gene 1 and 2 mRNA in liver but does not increase the level of immunoreactive protein. These results indicate that the rabbit P450IIE genes are not coordinately expressed or regulated and, as found with the rat ortholog P-450j, chemical inducers of 3a evidently act through changes in the rate of synthesis or degradation of the enzyme, rather than through increased gene transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Organization and differential expression of two highly similar genes in the rabbit alcohol-inducible cytochrome P-450 subfamily.

The exon-intron organization of two rabbit genes that hybridize with cytochrome P-450 3a (P-450ALC) cDNA has been determined by restriction mapping and sequence analysis. Gene 1 encodes cytochrome P-450 3a as judged by the complete identity of its coding nucleotide sequence with P-450 3a cDNA. Gene 2 encodes a previously uncharacterized cytochrome P-450 that is 97% identical in primary structure to P-450 3a, with 16 amino acid differences scattered throughout the protein. Genes 1 and 2, which are 10 and 9 kilobases in length, respectively, are comprised of 9 exons with exon-intron junctions occurring at identical positions along the mRNA sequences. Each gene contains two transcription start sites approximately 27 and 33 nucleotides upstream from the translation initiation codon, as determined by primer extension and S1 nuclease protection experiments. The predicted lengths of gene 1 and 2 transcripts from the first transcription start site to the poly(A) attachment site are 1999 and 1660 nucleotides, respectively. This difference in size is primarily the result of a 338-base pair deletion in the 3' nontranslated portion of the gene 2 transcript relative to that of gene 1. The two genes show considerable similarity in their 5' flanking regions, including a "TATAA" transcriptional promoter element at position -28. However, a 32-base pair element that is repeated in gene 1 is present only as a single inexact copy in gene 2. By use of synthetic oligonucleotides as hybridization probes, gene 2 transcripts were shown to be present in poly(A)+ RNA from untreated rabbit liver at approximately 50% of P-450 3a mRNA levels. In kidney, however, no gene 2 mRNA was detected although 3a mRNA was present at approximately 10% of the level in liver.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Isolation and partial characterization of the gene for cytochrome P-450 3a (P-450ALC) and a second closely related gene.

Two genes that hybridize to the cDNA for alcohol-inducible cytochrome P-450 form 3a (P-450ALC) have been isolated from a rabbit genomic library and characterized by restriction mapping, hybridization, and partial sequence analysis. The genes show extensive sequence similarity as judged by hybridization at high stringency to the coding region of P-450 3a cDNA. However, only gene 1 hybridizes under these conditions to the 3' nontranslated segment of P-450 3a cDNA. The hybridizing fragments derived from both cloned genes were found to be present in the genome of all rabbits examined by Southern blot analysis, indicating that the genes represent separate loci and are not polymorphic alleles. Partial sequence analysis indicated that gene 1 encodes P-450 3a. Gene 2, if transcribed, would encode a protein with greater than 96% sequence identity with P-450 3a in the NH2-terminal region.

Alleles↗
PubMed1987

cDNA and derived amino acid sequence of ethanol-inducible rabbit liver cytochrome P-450 isozyme 3a (P-450ALC).

Administration of ethanol to rabbits is known to induce a unique liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, termed isozyme 3a or P-450ALC, which is responsible for the increased oxidation of ethanol and other alcohols and the activation of toxic or carcinogenic compounds such as acetaminophen and N-nitrosodimethylamine. To further characterize this cytochrome P-450 we have identified cDNA clones to isozyme 3a by immunoscreening, DNA hybridization, and hybridization-selection. The cDNA sequence determined from two overlapping clones contains an open reading frame of 1416 nucleotides, and the first 25 amino acids of this reading frame correspond to residues 21-45 of cytochrome P-450 3a. The complete polypeptide, including residues 1 to 20, contains 492 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 56,820. Cytochrome P-450 3a is approximately 55% identical in sequence to P-450 isozymes 1 and 3b and 48% identical to isozyme 2. Hybridization of clone p3a-2 to electrophoretically fractionated rabbit liver poly(A)+ RNA revealed multiple bands, but, with a probe derived from the 3' nontranslated portion of this cDNA, only a 1.9-kilobase band was observed. Treatment of rabbits with imidazole, which increases the content of isozyme 3a, resulted in a transient increase in form 3a mRNA, but this was judged to be insufficient to account for the known 4.5-fold increase in form 3a protein. Genomic DNA analysis indicated that the cytochrome P-450 3a gene does not belong to a large subfamily.

Amino Acid Sequence↗