Search

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is genetically heterogeneous with two causative genes identified, RPGR and RP2. We previously mapped a locus for a severe form of XLRP, RP23, to a 10.71 Mb interval on Xp22.31-22.13 containing 62 genes. Candidate gene screening failed to identify a causative mutation, so we adopted targeted genomic next-generation sequencing of the disease interval to determine the molecular cause of RP23. No coding variants or variants within or near splice sites were identified. In contrast, a variant deep within intron 9 of OFD1 increased the splice site prediction score 4 bp upstream of the variant. Mutations in OFD1 cause the syndromic ciliopathies orofaciodigital syndrome-1, which is male lethal, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome type 2 and Joubert syndrome. We tested the effect of the IVS9+706A>G variant on OFD1 splicing in vivo. In RP23 patient-derived RNA, we detected an OFD1 transcript with the insertion of a cryptic exon spliced between exons 9 and 10 causing a frameshift, p.N313fs.X330. Correctly spliced OFD1 was also detected in patient-derived RNA, although at reduced levels (39%), hence the mutation is not male lethal. Our data suggest that photoreceptors are uniquely susceptible to reduced expression of OFD1 and that an alternative disease mechanism can cause XLRP. This disease mechanism of reduced expression for a syndromic ciliopathy gene causing isolated retinal degeneration is reminiscent of CEP290 intronic mutations that cause Leber congenital amaurosis, and we speculate that reduced dosage of correctly spliced ciliopathy genes may be a common disease mechanism in retinal degenerations.

Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa protein gene RP2 account for up to 15% of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. RP2 is a novel protein of unknown function, which is targeted to the plasma membrane by dual N-terminal acyl-modification. Dual-acylated proteins are targeted to lipid rafts, and some are subject to polarized sorting. Therefore we investigated the organization of RP2 on the plasma membrane. Endogenous RP2 protein was predominantly localized at the plasma membrane, and exogenously expressed green-fluorescent-protein-tagged protein was also targeted to the membrane in a wide range of cultured cells. High levels of endogenous RP2 protein were present in HeLa cells and in the retinal pigment epithelium-derived cell line ARPE19. A significant proportion of RP2 in cultured neuroblastoma cells was associated with detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), but much less than other dually acylated proteins (e.g. Lyn and Fyn). In contrast, the RP2-interacting protein Arl3 (ADP-ribosylation factor-like 3) was not found to be associated with DRMs. The association of RP2 with DRMs was cholesterol-dependent. In polarized epithelial cells in culture and in vivo, RP2 was present in both the apical and basolateral domains of the plasma membrane. These data show that RP2 is not specific to either domain, unlike some other dually acylated proteins. Interestingly, the level of RP2 protein increased in the epithelial cell line Caco-2 with differentiation and polarization. These data show that RP2 is present on the membrane of all cell types examined both in vitro and in vivo, and that RP2 associates with lipid rafts, suggesting a potential role for the protein in signal transduction.

Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa 2 (RP2) gene cause a severe form of X-linked retinal degeneration. RP2 is a ubiquitous 350 amino acid plasma membrane-associated protein, which shares homology with the tubulin-specific chaperone cofactor C. RP2 protein, like cofactor C, stimulates the GTPase activity of tubulin in combination with cofactor D. RP2 has also been shown to interact with ADP ribosylation factor-like 3 (Arl3) in a nucleotide and myristoylation-dependant manner. In this study we have examined the relationship between RP2, cofactor C and Arl3 in patient-derived cell lines and in the retina. Examination of lymphoblastoid cells from patients with an Arg120stop nonsense mutation in RP2 revealed that the expression levels of cofactor C and Arl3 were not affected by the absence of RP2. In human retina, RP2 was localized to the plasma membrane of cells throughout the retina. RP2 was present at the plasma membrane in both rod and cone photoreceptors, extending from the outer segment through the inner segment to the synaptic terminals. There was no enrichment of RP2 staining in any photoreceptor organelle. In contrast, cofactor C and Arl3 localized predominantly to the photoreceptor connecting cilium in rod and cone photoreceptors. Cofactor C was cytoplasmic in distribution, whereas Arl3 localized to other microtubule structures within all cells. Arl3 behaved as a microtubule-associated protein: it co-localized with microtubules in HeLa cells and this was enhanced following microtubule stabilization with taxol. Furthermore, Arl3 co-purified with microtubules from bovine brain. Following microtubule depolymerization with nocodazole, Arl3 relocalized to the nuclear membrane. These data suggest that RP2 functions in concert with Arl3 to link the cell membrane with the cytoskeleton in photoreceptors as part of the cell signaling or vesicular transport machinery.

Purpose: The X-linked retinitis pigmentosa protein RP2 is predominantly targeted to the plasma membrane. This study delineates the exact amino acid sequence requirements for targeting of RP2 through dual N-terminal acyl modification., Methods: Inhibition of acyl modification with a palmitate analogue was used to confirm the mechanism of intracellular targeting. Mutagenesis of the first 15 residues in a synthetic RP2-green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera was used to probe the precise requirements for plasma membrane targeting in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by confocal microscopy and subcellular fractionation., Results: The N-terminal Met-Gly-Cys-X-Phe-Ser-Lys motif of human RP2 is necessary and sufficient for the protein's plasma membrane localization. This motif includes the accepted consensus sequence for N-myristoyl transferase (NMT) and a site for attachment of a palmitoyl moiety. An interesting feature of the motif is an essential phenylalanine at position 5. This is the first report of the requirement of a specific residue at position 5 within the N-terminal acyl modification motif for normal intracellular targeting. Arginine at position 8 is not essential for plasma membrane localization of the protein, but it improves targeting. The motif is highly conserved and is found in all vertebrate orthologues of human RP2, except mouse. In mouse, however, the Ser6Thr change is concordant with the accepted NMT consensus sequence., Conclusions: Conserved residues mediate the intracellular targeting of RP2, further highlighting the potential significance of the protein's plasma membrane localization. The delineation of this motif identifies residues in which mutations disrupt the dual acylation of RP2 and almost certainly result in disease.

The X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) gene, RP2, codes for a novel 350 amino acid protein of unknown function. We have identified putative sites for N-terminal acyl modification by myristoylation and palmitoylation in the RP2 protein. The RP2 protein is expressed ubiquitously in human tissues at relatively low levels (0.01% of total protein) and has a predominantly plasma membrane localization in cultured cells, as would be expected if the protein was subject to dual N-terminal acylation. Furthermore, mutagenesis of residues potentially required for N-terminal acylation prevents targeting of RP2 to the plasma membrane and the N-terminal 15 amino acids of the protein appear to be sufficient for this targeting. Our data suggest that the protein is dually acylated and that the palmitoyl moiety is responsible for targeting of the myristoylated protein from intracellular membranes to the plasma membrane. The effect of two mutations, which have been reported as causes of XLRP, R118H and DeltaS6, were investigated. The R118H mutation does not affect the normal plasma membrane localization of RP2; in contrast, the DeltaS6 mutation interferes with the targeting of the protein to the plasma membrane. Therefore, the DeltaS6 mutation may cause XLRP because it prevents normal amounts of RP2 reaching the correct cellular locale, whereas the R118H mutation is in a region of the protein that is vital for another aspect of RP2 function in the retina.

Mutations in the RP2 gene located on Xp11.23 are associated with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), a severe form of progressive retinal degeneration which leads to complete loss of vision in affected males. To date, 14 different mutations in the RP2 gene have been reported to cause XLRP, the majority of which lead to a coding frameshift within the gene and predicted truncation of the protein product. We here report two novel frameshift mutations in RP2 identified in XLRP families by PCR-SSCP and direct sequencing, namely 723delT and 796-799del. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the coding region of RP2 are also described (105A>T, 597T>C, 844C>T, 1012G>T), the first polymorphisms to be reported within this gene of unknown function, two of which alter the amino acid sequence. The current study extends the XLRP mutation profile of RP2 and highlights non-pathogenic coding sequence variations which may facilitate both functional studies of the gene and analysis of intragenic allelic contribution to the phenotype., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa is a severe retinal degeneration characterized by night blindness and visual field constriction, leading to complete blindness within the third decade of life. Mutations in the RPGR gene (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator), located on Xp21.1 in the RP3 region, have been associated with an RP phenotype. Further to our previous mutation screening of RPGR in families segregating with the RP3 locus, we have expanded this study to include other 8 RP3 pedigrees. Here we report the results of this expanded study and the identification of five mutations in RPGR, four of which are novel (IVS6+5 G>A, 950-951delAA, 963 T>C, EX8del) and one of which occurs in the donor splice site of intron 1 (IVS1+1 G>A). These findings bring the proportion of "RP3 genotypes" with a mutation in this gene to 27% (10/37). Hum Mutat 15:386, 2000., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Aim: X linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) has two genetic loci known as "RP2" and "RP3". Clinical features reported to differentiate RP2 from RP3 include a higher prevalence of myopia and primary cone dysfunction in RP2, and late onset night blindness and tapetal reflex in RP3. Members from 14 XLRP families were examined in an attempt to verify these differences., Methods: 16 affected males and 37 females from 14 XLRP families assigned as either RP2 or RP3 by haplotype analysis and/or by heterogeneity analysis were examined. Members of all 14 families who were willing to participate but unavailable for examination were contacted and detailed interviews carried out., Results: No clear phenotypic differences were found that could be used to reliably differentiate RP2 from RP3 with respect to myopia and onset of night blindness. The tapetal reflex was also found to be present in carriers of both RP2 and RP3., Conclusions: XLRP is a heterogeneous class of rod degenerative disorders with no clear phenotypic differentiation between the two genetic loci RP2 and RP3. There is a continuum of clinical presentations which can be seen in both RP2 and RP3, but the features within a given family tend to be consistent. However, interfamilial variability is prevalent leading to a wide range of clinical presentations and more than one abnormal allele at each gene locus cannot be excluded.

The X-linked form of retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is a severe disease of the retina, characterised by night blindness and visual field constriction in a degenerative process, culminating with complete loss of sight within the third decade of life. Genetic mapping studies have identified two major loci for XLRP: RP3 (70%-75% of XLRP) and RP2 (20%-25% of XLRP). The RPGR (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator) gene has been cloned within the RP3 genomic interval and it has been shown that 10%-20% of XLRP families have mutations in this gene. Here, we describe a single-strand conformational polymorphism-based mutation screening of RPGR in a pool of 29 XLRP families for which the disease segregates with the RP3 locus, in order to investigate the proportion of RP3 families with RPGR mutations and to relate the results to previous reports. Five different new mutations have been identified: two splice site mutations for exon 1 and three frameshift mutations in exons 7, 10 and 11. The percentage of RPGR mutations identified is 17% (5/29) in our genetically well-defined population. This figure is comparable to the percentage of RP2 gene mutations that we have detected in our entire XLRP patient pool (10%-15%). A correlation of RPGR mutations with phenotype in the families described in this study and the biochemical characterisation of reported mutations may provide insights into the function of the protein.

Purpose: Proximal Xp harbors many inherited retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and congenital stationary night blindness, both of which display genetic heterogeneity. X-linked congenital stationary night blindness (CSNBX) is a nonprogressive disease causing night blindness and reduced visual acuity. Distinct genetic loci have been reported for CSNBX at Xp21.1, which is potentially allelic with the RP3 gene, and at Xp11.23, which is potentially allelic with the RP2 gene. The study to identify the RP2 gene led to an extended study of families with potentially allelic diseases that include CSNBX., Methods: Haplotype analysis of a family diagnosed with CSNBX was performed with 17 polymorphic markers on proximal Xp covering previously identified loci for CSNBX and XLRP. Two-point and multipoint lod scores were calculated., Results: Informative recombinations in this family define a locus for CSNBX (CSNB4) with flanking markers DXS556 and DXS8080 on Xp11.4 to Xp11.3, an interval spanning approximately 5 to 6 cM. A maximum lod score of 3.2 was calculated for the locus order DXS556-1 cM-(CSNB4-DXS993)-2 cM-DXS1201., Conclusions: The results describe a new localization for CSNBX (CSNB4) between the RP2 and RP3 loci on proximal Xp. CSNB4 is not allelic with any previously reported XLRP loci; however, the interval overlaps the locus reported to contain the cone dystrophy (COD1) gene, and both diseases are nonrecombinant with DXS993. Because mutations in the RPGR gene to date account for disease in only a small proportion of RP3 families, the possibility that this new locus (CSNB4) also segregates with an as yet unidentified XLRP locus cannot be excluded.