Analysis of PDE6 function using chimeric PDE5/6 catalytic domains

• Published in: Vision research (Oxford) Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 860 - 868
• Main Authors: Muradov, Hakim, Boyd, Kimberly K., Artemyev, Nikolai O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases - genetics; 3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases - metabolism; Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic Domain; Cattle; cGMP; Cloning, Molecular - methods; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 6; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Light Signal Transduction - physiology; Molecular Sequence Data; PDE5; PDE6; Perception; Phosphodiesterase; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - genetics; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - metabolism; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - physiology; Phototransduction; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Structure-Activity Relationship; Vision; PDE6; PDE5; cGMP; Phototransduction; Phosphodiesterase; 3',5'-GMP
• DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2005.09.015
• ISSN: 0042-6989

cGMP-phosphodiesterases of the PDE6 family are expressed in retinal photoreceptor cells, where they mediate the phototransduction cascade. A system for expression of PDE6 in vitro is lacking, thus straining progress in understanding the structure–function relationships of the photoreceptor enzyme. Here, we report generation and characterization of bacterially expressed chimeric PDE5/6 catalytic domains which are highly soluble, catalytically active, and sensitive to inhibition by the PDE6 Pγ subunit. Two flexible PDE6 loops, H and M, impart chimeric PDE5/6 catalytic domains with PDE6-like properties. The replacement of the PDE6 H-loop into the PDE5 catalytic domain increases the catalytic rate and the K m value for cGMP hydrolysis, whereas the substitution of the M-loop produces catalytic PDE domains responsive to Pγ. Multiple PDE6 segments preventing functional expression of the catalytic domain are identified, supporting the requirement for specialized photoreceptor chaperones to assist PDE6 folding in vivo.