CDK5 activity in retinal pigment epithelium contributes to gap junction dynamics during phagocytosis
Year: 2023
Type: preprint
Abstract: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) at the back of the eye is a monolayer of cells with an extensive network of gap junctions that contributes to retinal health in a multitude of ways. One of those roles is the phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. This renewal is under circadian regulation and peaks after light onset. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the most predominantly expressed gap junction protein in RPE. In this study, we examine how gap junctions and specifically, Cx43 phosphorylation, contribute to phagocytosis in both human embryonic stem cell derived RPE and mouse RPE monolayers. We show that both Rac1 and CDK5 have differences in protein localization at different points in phagocytosis, and that by using their effectors, the capability of RPE for phagocytosis changes. CDK5 has not yet been reported in RPE tissue, and here we show that it likely regulates Cx43 localization and resulting electrical coupling. We find that gap junctions in RPE are temporally highly dynamic during phagocytosis and that regulation of gap junctions via phosphorylation is likely critical for maintaining eye health.
Language: English
Topic: Connexins and lens biology
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Mutual interaction of retinal circadian clocks and ion channels as a potential link for age-related retinal diseases, G3978863009, G4553302610, G4594843207, Mechanical forces in epithelia – where cell biology meets biophysics, Way out through chromatin: nuclear exit of herpesvirus capsids and mRNA, G5456475679, G7924288376
OpenAlex ID: W4320035610