A Functional Binding Domain in the Rbpr2 Receptor Is Required for Vitamin A Transport, Ocular Retinoid Homeostasis, and Photoreceptor Cell Survival in Zebrafish

Dietary vitamin A/all-trans retinol/ROL plays a critical role in human vision. ROL circulates bound to the plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP4) as RBP4-ROL. In the eye, the STRA6 membrane receptor binds to circulatory RBP4 and internalizes ROL. STRA6 is, however, not expressed in systemic tissues, where there is high affinity RBP4 binding and ROL uptake. We tested the hypothesis that the second retinol binding protein 4 receptor 2 (Rbpr2), which is highly expressed in systemic tissues of zebrafish and mouse, contains a functional RBP4 binding domain, critical for ROL transport. As for STRA6, modeling and docking studies confirmed three conserved RBP4 binding residues in zebrafish Rbpr2. In cell culture studies, disruption of the RBP4 binding residues on Rbpr2 almost completely abolished uptake of exogenous vitamin A. CRISPR-generated rbpr2-RBP4 domain zebrafish mutants showed microphthalmia, shorter photoreceptor outer segments, and decreased opsins, which were attributed to impaired ocular retinoid content. Injection of WT-Rbpr2 mRNA into rbpr2 mutant or all-trans retinoic acid treatment rescued the mutant eye phenotypes. In conclusion, zebrafish Rbpr2 contains a putative extracellular RBP4-ROL ligand-binding domain, critical for yolk vitamin A transport to the eye for ocular retinoid production and homeostasis, for photoreceptor cell survival.

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A Functional Binding Domain in the Rbpr2 Receptor is Required for Vitamin A Transport, Ocular Retinoid Homeostasis, and Photoreceptor Cell Survival in Zebrafish

10.20944/preprints202003.0296.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ashish K. Solanki ◽

Altaf A Kondkar ◽

Joseph Fogerty ◽

Yanhui Su ◽

Seok-hyung Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Cell Survival ◽

Photoreceptor Cell ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Binding Domain ◽

Human Vision ◽

Retinol Binding Protein ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

Binding Residues ◽

Vitamin A Transport

Dietary vitamin A/all-trans retinol/ROL plays a critical role in human vision. ROL circulates bound to the plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP4) as RBP4-ROL. In the eye, the STRA6 membrane receptor binds to circulatory RBP4 and internalizes ROL. STRA6 is however not expressed in systemic tissues, where there is high-affinity RBP4 binding and ROL uptake. We tested the hypothesis, that the second retinol-binding protein 4 receptor 2 (Rbpr2) which is highly expressed in systemic tissues of zebrafish and mouse, contains a functional RBP4 binding domain, critical for ROL transport. As for STRA6, modeling and docking studies confirmed three conserved RBP4 binding residues in zebrafish Rbpr2. In cell culture studies, disruption of the RBP4 binding residues on Rbpr2 almost completely abolished uptake of exogenous vitamin A. CRISPR generated rbpr2-RBP4 domain zebrafish mutants showed microphthalmia, shorter photoreceptor outer segments, and decreased opsins, that were attributed to impaired ocular retinoid content. Injection of WT-Rbpr2 mRNA into rbpr2 mutant or all-trans retinoic acid treatments rescued the mutant eye phenotypes. In conclusion, zebrafish Rbpr2 contains a putative extracellular RBP4-ROL ligand-binding domain, critical for yolk vitamin A transport to the eye for ocular retinoid production and homeostasis, for photoreceptor cell survival.

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Dietary Vitamin A and Visceral Adiposity: A Modulating Role of the Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Gene

Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics ◽

10.1159/000442090 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (4-6) ◽

pp. 164-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Katie Goodwin ◽

Michal Abrahamowicz ◽

Gabriel Leonard ◽

Michel Perron ◽

Louis Richer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Visceral Adiposity ◽

Retinol Binding Protein ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

Retinol Binding Protein 4

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Vitamin A Transporters in Visual Function: A Mini Review on Membrane Receptors for Dietary Vitamin A Uptake, Storage, and Transport to the Eye

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13113987 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 3987

Author(s):

Nicasio Martin Ask ◽

Matthias Leung ◽

Rakesh Radhakrishnan ◽

Glenn P. Lobo

Keyword(s):

Cell Growth ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Visual Function ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Retinol Binding Protein ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

Peripheral Tissues ◽

Retinol Binding Protein 4 ◽

Retinyl Esters ◽

And Function

Vitamins are essential compounds obtained through diet that are necessary for normal development and function in an organism. One of the most important vitamins for human physiology is vitamin A, a group of retinoid compounds and carotenoids, which generally function as a mediator for cell growth, differentiation, immunity, and embryonic development, as well as serving as a key component in the phototransduction cycle in the vertebrate retina. For humans, vitamin A is obtained through the diet, where provitamin A carotenoids such as β-carotene from plants or preformed vitamin A such as retinyl esters from animal sources are absorbed into the body via the small intestine and converted into all-trans retinol within the intestinal enterocytes. Specifically, once absorbed, carotenoids are cleaved by carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs), such as Beta-carotene 15,15’-monooxygenase (BCO1), to produce all-trans retinal that subsequently gets converted into all-trans retinol. CRBP2 bound retinol is then converted into retinyl esters (REs) by the enzyme lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) in the endoplasmic reticulum, which is then packaged into chylomicrons and sent into the bloodstream for storage in hepatic stellate cells in the liver or for functional use in peripheral tissues such as the retina. All-trans retinol also travels through the bloodstream bound to retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), where it enters cells with the assistance of the transmembrane transporters, stimulated by retinoic acid 6 (STRA6) in peripheral tissues or retinol binding protein 4 receptor 2 (RBPR2) in systemic tissues (e.g., in the retina and the liver, respectively). Much is known about the intake, metabolism, storage, and function of vitamin A compounds, especially with regard to its impact on eye development and visual function in the retinoid cycle. However, there is much to learn about the role of vitamin A as a transcription factor in development and cell growth, as well as how peripheral cells signal hepatocytes to secrete all-trans retinol into the blood for peripheral cell use. This article aims to review literature regarding the major known pathways of vitamin A intake from dietary sources into hepatocytes, vitamin A excretion by hepatocytes, as well as vitamin A usage within the retinoid cycle in the RPE and retina to provide insight on future directions of novel membrane transporters for vitamin A in retinal cell physiology and visual function.

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