scholarly journals Loss of CIB2 causes non-canonical autophagy deficits and visual impairment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saumil Sethna ◽  
Patrick A. Scott ◽  
Arnaud P.J. Giese ◽  
Todd Duncan ◽  
T. Michael Redmond ◽  
...  

SUMMARYNon-canonical autophagy or LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) is essential for the maintenance and functioning of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors. Although molecular mechanisms still remain elusive, deficits in LAP have been found to be associated with age-related retinal pathology in both mice and humans. In this study, we found that calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 (CIB2) regulates LAP in the RPE. Mice lacking CIB2, both globally and specifically within RPE, have an impaired ability to process the engulfed photoreceptor outer segments due to reduced lysosomal capacity, which leads to marked accumulation of improperly digested remnants, lipid droplets, fused phago-melanosomes in RPE, and impaired visual function. In aged mice, we also found marked accumulation of drusen markers APOE, C3, and Aβ, along with esterified cholesterol. Intriguingly, we were able to transiently rescue the photoreceptor function in Cib2 mutant mice by exogenous retinoid delivery. Our study links LAP and phagocytic clearance with CIB2, and their relevance to the sense of sight.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saumil Sethna ◽  
Patrick A. Scott ◽  
Arnaud P. J. Giese ◽  
Todd Duncan ◽  
Xiaoying Jian ◽  
...  

AbstractAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder. Although molecular mechanisms remain elusive, deficits in autophagy have been associated with AMD. Here we show that deficiency of calcium and integrin binding protein 2 (CIB2) in mice, leads to age-related pathologies, including sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) deposits, marked accumulation of drusen markers APOE, C3, Aβ, and esterified cholesterol, and impaired visual function, which can be rescued using exogenous retinoids. Cib2 mutant mice exhibit reduced lysosomal capacity and autophagic clearance, and increased mTORC1 signaling—a negative regulator of autophagy. We observe concordant molecular deficits in dry-AMD RPE/choroid post-mortem human tissues. Mechanistically, CIB2 negatively regulates mTORC1 by preferentially binding to ‘nucleotide empty’ or inactive GDP-loaded Rheb. Upregulated mTORC1 signaling has been implicated in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) cancer. Over-expressing CIB2 in LAM patient-derived fibroblasts downregulates hyperactive mTORC1 signaling. Thus, our findings have significant implications for treatment of AMD and other mTORC1 hyperactivity-associated disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12298
Author(s):  
Jongmin Kim ◽  
Yeo Jin Lee ◽  
Jae Yon Won

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), situated upon Bruch’s membrane, plays multiple roles in the ocular system by interacting with photoreceptors and. Therefore, dysfunction of the RPE causes diseases related to vision loss, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Despite AMD being a global cause of blindness, the pathogenesis remains unclear. Understanding the pathogenesis of AMD is the first step for its prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the common pathways of RPE dysfunction and their effect in AMD. Potential treatment strategies for AMD based on targeting the RPE have also been discussed.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Peeraporn Varinthra ◽  
Shun-Ping Huang ◽  
Supin Chompoopong ◽  
Zhi-Hong Wen ◽  
Ingrid Y. Liu

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that causes irreversible impairment of central vision, and effective treatment is not yet available. Extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in drusen that lie under the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been reported as one of the early signs of AMD and was found in more than 60% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Extracellular deposition of Aβ can induce the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS in RPE cells. Thus, finding a compound that can effectively reduce the inflammatory response may help the treatment of AMD. In this research, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of the coral-derived compound 4-(phenylsulfanyl) butan-2-one (4-PSB-2) on Aβ1-42 oligomer (oAβ1-42) added to the human adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19). Our results demonstrated that 4-PSB-2 can decrease the elevated expressions of TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS via NF-κB signaling in ARPE-19 cells treated with oAβ1-42 without causing any cytotoxicity or notable side effects. This study suggests that 4-PSB-2 is a promising drug candidate for attenuation of AMD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8387
Author(s):  
Alexa Klettner ◽  
Johann Roider

(1) Background: Inflammation is a major pathomechanism in the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may contribute to retinal inflammation via activation of its Toll-like receptors (TLR). TLR are pattern recognition receptors that detect the pathogen- or danger-associated molecular pattern. The involvement of TLR activation in AMD is so far not understood. (2) Methods: We performed a systematic literature research, consulting the National Library of Medicine (PubMed). (3) Results: We identified 106 studies, of which 54 were included in this review. Based on these studies, the current status of TLR in AMD, the effects of TLR in RPE activation and of the interaction of TLR activated RPE with monocytic cells are given, and the potential of TLR activation in RPE as part of the AMD development is discussed. (4) Conclusion: The activation of TLR2, -3, and -4 induces a profound pro-inflammatory response in the RPE that may contribute to (long-term) inflammation by induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reducing RPE function and causing RPE cell degeneration, thereby potentially constantly providing new TLR ligands, which could perpetuate and, in the long run, exacerbate the inflammatory response, which may contribute to AMD development. Furthermore, the combined activation of RPE and microglia may exacerbate neurotoxic effects.


2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURA S. FROST ◽  
VANDA S. LOPES ◽  
FRANK P. STEFANO ◽  
ALVINA BRAGIN ◽  
DAVID S. WILLIAMS ◽  
...  

AbstractCathepsin-D (Cat-D) is a major proteolytic enzyme in phagocytic cells. In the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), it is responsible for the daily degradation of photoreceptor outer segments (POSs) to maintain retinal homeostasis. Melanoregulin (MREG)-mediated loss of phagocytic capacity has been linked to diminished intracellular Cat-D activity. Here, we demonstrate that loss of MREG enhances the secretion of intermediate Cat-D (48 kDa), resulting in a net enhancement of extracellular Cat-D activity. These results suggest that MREG is required to maintain Cat-D homeostasis in the RPE and likely plays a protective role in retinal health. In this regard, in the Mregdsu/dsu mouse, we observe increased basal laminin. Loss of the Mregdsu allele is not lethal and therefore leads to slow age-dependent changes in the RPE. Thus, we propose that this model will allow us to study potential dysregulatory functions of Cat-D in retinal disease.


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