Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. Signal., 24 March 2009
Vol. 2, Issue 63, p. ec109
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.263ec109]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Cell Biology Sorting Light Receptors

Stella M. Hurtley

Science, AAAS, Cambridge CB2 1LQ, UK

In the retina, cyclic nucleotide–gated (CNG) channels initiate the electrical response to light in the sensory cilia of the rods. The channels are exclusively localized to outer segments of the cilia, but how they are positioned has been largely unknown. Working on Xenopus, Kizhatil et al. showed that the CNG-β subunit bound to ankyrin-G, a membrane scaffolding protein, is required not only for post-Golgi transport of CNG channels but also for rod outer segment development. A human mutation in the CNG-β subunit disrupts this targeting mechanism and is associated with retinitis pigmentosa. Similar ankyrin-G–based mechanisms may occur in olfactory cilia, in the sperm flagella, and at other sites.

K. Kizhatil, S. A. Baker, V. Y. Arshavsky, V. Bennett, Ankyrin-G promotes cyclic nucleotide–gated channel transport to rod photoreceptor sensory cilia. Science 323, 1614–1617 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: S. M. Hurtley, Sorting Light Receptors. Sci. Signal. 2, ec109 (2009).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882