How photoreceptor cell membranes keep vision proteins in place
Membrane compartmentalization in photoreceptor health and disease
This project looks at how membranes inside light-sensing cells organize rhodopsin and other proteins to better understand inherited forms of retinal degeneration.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310171 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will label newly made membrane proteins in photoreceptor cells so they can watch where those proteins go, using advanced microscopy and biochemical tagging. They will test how changes in a short rhodopsin sequence called the VxPx motif affect rhodopsin's location and pull down interacting proteins for identification by mass spectrometry. The team will also study how the septin cytoskeleton helps organize membrane compartments and whether disruptions cause protein mislocalization that harms photoreceptors. Experiments will compare normal and disease-like conditions to reveal mechanisms behind inherited retinal ciliopathies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with inherited retinal ciliopathies or genetic forms of retinal degeneration who can provide clinical information or donate blood or retinal tissue samples for research.
Not a fit: People whose vision loss is due to non-genetic causes or who cannot provide samples are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new molecular targets to prevent or slow photoreceptor loss in inherited retinal diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has identified rhodopsin trafficking signals and some binding partners, but combining label-new-protein tracking with proteomics and septin studies is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Indianapolis, United States
- Indiana University Indianapolis — Indianapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Imanishi, Yoshikazu — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Imanishi, Yoshikazu
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.